Let’s call this series what it was: The Detroit Tigers got beat by the superior team.
Chicago arrived at Comerica Park in first place and played like it. The White Sox swept all three games, outscoring Detroit 20-13, outhitting the Tigers 34-24 and winning the home-run battle 7-4. Chicago extended its lead over Detroit in the American League Central to 5 1/2 games.
Detroit did not play three completely lifeless games. The Tigers led Friday and Sunday, received meaningful contributions from several young players, and had opportunities to change the series. But whenever the White Sox needed a big swing, a tough at-bat or a shutdown inning, they usually got it. The Tigers to me today, looked a bit gassed.
Friday’s 9-5 loss established the pattern. Detroit built a 3-1 lead behind two home runs from Ben Malgeri and an RBI double from Eduardo Valencia, but Jackson Jobe could not get through the fourth. He allowed six earned runs on nine hits over 3 2/3 innings, striking out four and walking one. Tristan Peters and Munetaka Murakami homered during Chicago’s five-run fourth, while Braden Montgomery finished the inning with a two-run triple. Miguel Vargas later homered twice, giving the White Sox four home runs in the opener.
Saturday was closer but equally frustrating. Troy Melton allowed three runs on nine hits over 4 1/3 innings. The White Sox opened every inning against him with a hit, forcing Melton to work with runners aboard for almost his entire 87-pitch outing. Valencia drove in Detroit’s first run and added his sixth home run, while Gleyber Torres tied the game with an RBI double in the fifth.
Drew Sommers escaped Melton’s final jam and struck out four over two innings, but Andrew Benintendi’s seventh-inning single produced the deciding run in a 4-3 loss. Sommers took the loss despite missing bats and allowing only one run. Kyle Finnegan and Tanner Rainey combined for 2 2/3 scoreless innings after him.
Sunday might have been the most painful. Brett Callahan turned the first pitch of his major league career into a two-run triple, becoming the first Tiger to triple in his first plate appearance since Ed Irwin in 1912. Max Clark followed with an RBI single, and Colt Keith homered an inning later to give Detroit a 4-1 lead.
Drew Anderson provided five respectable innings, allowing three runs on four hits with five strikeouts. The bullpen could not protect the lead. Tyler Holton surrendered the tying run in the sixth, then walked Sam Antonacci before Murakami hit the go-ahead two-run homer in the seventh. Miguel Vargas added another homer in the ninth, and Chicago completed the sweep with a 7-5 victory. Sunday’s recap
The rotation worked only 13 innings in the series and allowed 12 earned runs, an 8.31 ERA. Jobe’s inability to generate consistent life or swing-and-miss with his fastball remains the biggest rotation concern. Melton was constantly under pressure, while Anderson was the only starter to complete five innings.
The bullpen posted a 5.14 ERA over 14 innings. That number is heavily influenced by Sunday, when Holton allowed three runs and Jacob Waguespack surrendered Vargas’ ninth-inning homer. Sommers, Finnegan and Rainey were encouraging Saturday, but Detroit’s margin for error is too small to survive late bullpen swings.
Offensively, Torres went 7-for-13 in the series. Valencia was 4-for-10 with a double, home run and three RBIs, while Malgeri supplied two home runs and three RBIs. Callahan’s debut provided another bright spot.
The middle of the order was another matter. Spencer Torkelson went 1-for-11, Kevin McGonigle finished 1-for-11 and Dillon Dingler was 1-for-13. Dingler’s seventh-inning RBI double Sunday snapped an 0-for-28 drought.
Callahan was selected from Toledo before Sunday’s game, while Trei Cruz was designated for assignment, who never could get going on when the opportunities were given. Callahan should get opportunities against Pittsburgh’s right-handed starters, especially with so many left-handed outfield bats unavailable.
The sweep dropped Detroit to 60-64, but the season did not end Sunday. The Tigers remain only one game behind Baltimore for the final AL wild-card position. Their plus-83 run differential is dramatically better than their actual record, but at some point, that underlying strength has to turn into wins.
Pittsburgh is 61-65 and just snapped a seven-series losing streak by taking two of three from Boston. The Pirates are 4-6 over their past 10 games, so both clubs enter this series trying to stop a difficult stretch.
The scheduled pitching matchups are:
- Monday: Framber Valdez, 7-8 with a 4.26 ERA, against Carmen Mlodzinski, 6-5 with a 3.79 ERA
- Tuesday: Keider Montero, 9-7 with a 3.22 ERA, against Braxton Ashcraft, 12-5 with a 3.88 ERA
- Wednesday: Jackson Jobe, 1-1 with a 6.23 ERA, against Paul Skenes, 9-11 with a 3.88 ERA
Skenes received extra rest after experiencing diminished fastball velocity, making Wednesday’s matchup with Jobe the obvious game to watch.
Detroit was humbled by Chicago, but the wild-card race remains crowded enough to offer another chance. The Tigers now have to prove they can take advantage of it.