Errors, a critical balk, and soggy conditions at Camden Yards derailed Detroit's early lead, handing the Tigers their seventh straight loss as Baltimore's power hitting surged ahead.
Both Baltimore and Detroit came into Friday's game among the leaders with players on the IL and playing a bad stretch of baseball. Detroit has lost 14 of their last 16 while the Orioles have lost 14 of their last 20. With those ugly stats, there was bound to be some ugly baseball forthcoming. The baseball gods were correct as an error and the wet conditions on the field played a factor as Baltimore won 7 to 4, as Detroit now has lost seven in a row.
The game started well for Detroit as Kevin McGonigle led off the game with a home run, his third of the season.
But the bottom of the third started to turn on Jack Flaherty. Jackson Holliday singled for his first hit of the season, and after Taylor Ward struck out, Gunnar Henderson reached on a fielder’s choice with Holliday moving to second on a fielding error by McGonigle. Flaherty got Adley Rutschman to pop out on the infield fly rule, putting him one out away from escaping the inning. Instead, Pete Alonso changed the game with one swing, driving a three-run homer to right to give Baltimore a 3-2 lead.
Detroit answered in the fourth. Riley Greene singled, Spencer Torkelson followed with a ground-rule double, and Zach McKinstry brought Greene home on a fielder’s choice to tie the game. Lee then added his second run-scoring hit of the afternoon, an RBI single that scored Torkelson and briefly put the Tigers back in front, 4-3.
The lead did not last. Leody Taveras opened the bottom of the fourth with a bunt single and Colton Cowser followed with a single to right, putting runners on the corners. With Coby Mayo at the plate, Flaherty was called for a balk as he appeared to be trying to get a better footing on the wet mound. Taveras scored on the play and Cowser moved to second, tying the game at 4. After Mayo struck out, Holliday delivered the bigger swing, hitting his first home run of the season to left field to score Cowser and give Baltimore a 6-4 lead.
After throwing a pair of scoreless innings, right-hander Jack Flaherty once again struggled to get to the 4th inning with one of strangest final lines you will see on a box score. 3.1 IP 3.1IP 8H 6R 3ER 7K 11 swings and misses.
The wet field played a role also in Brant Hurter leaving the game early after he threw a pitch in the bottom of the 5th as it looked like some sort of lower body injury.
The Tigers bats could not do anything against a Baltimore bullpen that came in ranked 25th in ERA at 4.85 and they were able to shut down the Tigers the final three 3.2 innings.
After Baltimore took the lead in the fourth, Detroit went quietly in the fifth against Chris Bassitt, with Dillon Dingler striking out, Colt Keith grounding out and Riley Greene flying out to center. The Tigers had a chance to answer in the sixth when Wenceel Pérez doubled with one out, but Rico Garcia came in and stranded him, getting Zach McKinstry to pop out before Gage Workman struck out swinging.
Baltimore added insurance in the sixth against Connor Seabold. Gunnar Henderson reached on a soft single to short and Adley Rutschman followed with a single to right, putting runners on the corners. Pete Alonso, who had already delivered the biggest swing of the game, added another run with a sacrifice fly to left, scoring Henderson and extending the Orioles’ lead to 7-4.
From there, the Tigers offense never found another push. Yennier Cano retired Detroit in order in the seventh, striking out Hao-Yu Lee and Dingler around a Kevin McGonigle groundout. Tyler Wells handled the eighth the same way, striking out Keith, getting Greene to fly out sharply to center and retiring Spencer Torkelson on a grounder to short.
Detroit had put together some early traffic and answered once after Baltimore’s first big inning, but after Pérez’s sixth-inning double, the lineup went quiet. The Orioles’ bullpen did what the Tigers could not afford to let it do: stabilize the game, protect the lead and keep Detroit from getting back to the top of the order with a real scoring chance.
The only real positive for Detroit came before the game, when Tarik Skubal played soft toss while traveling with the team. A.J. Hinch said Skubal could face live hitters during his next scheduled throwing session Tuesday, and also noted that he was throwing all of his pitches — another encouraging sign in his progression.
Beyond that, there was little for the Tigers to take from a soggy, cold night at Camden Yards.
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