Miguel Cabrera collects three hits in Detroit Tigers’ 10-6 loss to Texas Rangers

Detroit Free Press

The Detroit Tigers trailed by one run and needed to make a comeback in the late innings.

Instead, the Texas Rangers stepped on the gas pedal.

The Tigers lost, 10-6, in the second of three games against the Rangers — the best team in the American League West — at Comerica Park. Center fielder Riley Greene left Tuesday’s game in the third inning with left lower leg discomfort.

Left-hander Joey Wentz, who has struggled this season, is expected to start Wednesday in the series finale as the Tigers (25-28) try to avoid a series sweep.

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The Rangers put the nail in the coffin with one out in the seventh inning, when red-hot rookie Josh Jung — the brother of Tigers prospect Jace Jung — crushed an eighth-pitch cutter from left-handed reliever Tyler Holton.

The ball traveled 429 feet to left-center field for a two-run homer, which extended the Rangers’ lead to 9-6.

The Tigers, meanwhile, were flummoxed by right-hander Grant Anderson in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings. In his MLB debut, Anderson fired 2⅔ scoreless innings with seven strikeouts. The 25-year-old departed after Miguel Cabrera’s one-out single in the eighth.

The Rangers increased their margin to 10-6 when shortstop Javier Báez committed a throwing error on Travis Jankowski’s grounder with the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the ninth inning.

Jung, the No. 8 overall pick in 2019, finished 3-for-5 with two RBIs, increased his home run total to 12 and extended his hitting streak to 13 games. He is hitting .291 in 51 games this season, with hits in 17 of his last 18 games.

Cabrera, hitting .196, went 3-for-3 with one double and two RBIs. With four total bases, the 40-year-old passed Ken Griffey Jr. (previously tied for 15th place) on the all-time list with 5,272 total bases.

He has 3,106 hits in his 21-year career.

Pushing Pérez

Left-hander Martín Pérez, an All-Star last season earning $19.65 million this season, allowed six runs on seven hits and four walks with three strikeouts, throwing 53 of 87 pitches for strikes.

It marked his second-worst start in his 11th start of the season.

The Tigers attacked Pérez in bunches: one run in the second inning, two runs in the third inning, one run in the fourth inning and two runs in the fifth inning. Back-to-back walks from Spencer Torkelson and Eric Haase set the table for Cabrera’s sacrifice fly in the second inning.

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In the third, catcher Jake Rogers cranked his sixth home run of the season — a solo blast to left-center field — on a third-pitch sinker from Pérez after working ahead 2-0 in the count.

Spencer Torkelson increased the Tigers’ lead to 3-1 with an RBI double.

A two-out single in the fourth inning tied the game, 4-4, when Cabrera scored from second base on Zack Short’s single into left field. The ball deflected off shortstop Corey Seager’s glove, and Cabrera slid feet-first to beat the throw to home plate.

The Tigers scored their final two runs in the fifth on Andy Ibáñez’s solo home run and Cabrera’s double, cutting the deficit to 7-5. Jonathan Schoop, who drew a walk, scored from first on Cabrera’s extra-base hit down the left-field line.

The offense finished 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position.

Faedo toasted

Back-to-back doubles in the second inning put the Rangers ahead, 1-0, against right-hander Alex Faedo in his fifth start, but for the most part, Faedo was effective through three innings.

The 27-year-old ran into serious trouble in the fourth and fifth innings, however.

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The Rangers scored three runs in the fourth inning and, with the game tied, tacked on three more runs in the fifth. That inning, Nathaniel Lowe delivered an RBI single and Jonah Heim added a two-RBI single.

Just like that, the Rangers had a 7-4 lead.

Heim collected his two-run single against right-handed reliever José Cisnero, but one of the runs was charged to Faedo’s final line.

Faedo allowed six runs on seven hits and one walk with four strikeouts in 4⅓ innings, throwing 50 of 73 pitches for strikes. He threw 60% four-seam fastballs, 25% sliders and 15% changeups.

Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him on Twitter @EvanPetzold.

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