Maybe it’s just because I was there, but it sort of felt like this team was due for a moment tonight on a misty evening at Comerica. I don’t know why that game bothered me so much. Maybe it’s because I was freezing my ass off while half the crowd of America was watching the piston mount this incredible comeback, but that should’ve been a win. And for a season, that’s barely over a month deep, it feels like the Tigers have played a lot of “should’ve had that” games so far.
I have plenty of words I could use to describe Jack Flaherty tonight, but most of them would get me fired. You’re stuck with him now. You’re going to need frames from him with Verlander and Mize out, but the second you get the chance, move him to the pen. Watching him right now surpasses the pain I felt watching Jordan Zimmermann all those years. Zimmermann threw strikes that just got crushed. Flaherty can’t find the plate, and on the rare occasion that he does, he gets popped.
This feels like a missed opportunity, because we’ve had so many complaints about this bullpen, yet tonight they were great. Yes, Burch Smith gave up a bad luck run in the 8th, but considering how little they got from Jack tonight, their bullpen kept them in the game for a good chunk of that thing. How many nights can we expect them to look this sharp? Losing on a night where you can’t blame the pen feels like a wasted chance.
Keider Montero will take the mound tomorrow for the Tigers. Former College World Series MVP and Vanderbilt great Kumar Rocker will be tossing the ball for the Rangers. This feels like an important homestand. They’re a bit banged up right now, but they have to get it right.