If you had told me before tonight’s game that the Detroit Tigers would hold the reigning World Champion Texas Rangers to a single run, I would’ve told you, “Jeez, I can’t wait to see how we get shut out in this one!”
And if you had told me that the Tigers would put 10 runners on base, I would’ve told you, “They stranded all 10 of them, didn’t they?”
These games are getting a little too predictable as the Tigers drop an extremely winnable game 1-0 in the series opener on Friday night. Detroit has scored just five runs in 39 innings.
Undoubtedly, the silver lining of tonight’s action for Tigers fans has to be Reese Olson’s excellent performance. After getting shelled by the Pirates last Monday, Olson pitched into the seventh against a lineup featuring Marcus Semien, Adolis García, and postseason breakout star Evan Carter, striking out eight. (Wyatt Langford and Corey Seager had the night off.)
It is also worth noting that Tyler Holton and Alex Faedo combined for 2 2⁄3 combined hitless innings of their own. Faedo now sits at a 1.74 ERA, and Holton a 2.08 ERA. Where were these guys in 2012-14?
There was a little hope entering the ninth inning. After all, the Tigers have scored nearly half their 2024 runs in the eighth inning or later, and getting ten guys on base at least showed some life in the Detroit offense. The once-dominant Kirby Yates, however, looked like his effortless 2019 self as he set down Colt Keith, Gio Urshela, and Javy Báez on eight pitches.
The two Tigers position players not worth your pitchforks and torches tonight are Spencer Torkelson and Mark Canha. Canha’s single and double on the day brought his batting average back up to .222 on the young season, and his OPS sits at an impressive .817 mark. Torkelson, meanwhile, walked twice, although his early-season OPS still leaves plenty to be desired at a paltry .593 mark. (For the Baez haters at home, he is sitting at .373. D-F-A! D-F-A!)
Detroit will trot out Casey Mize to face Jonathan Gray tomorrow at 1:10 PM. It remains to be seen if Detroit will trot out any runs.