At the MLB All-Star break, the Detroit Tigers had the best record in baseball at 59-38. That was despite losing four consecutive games.
The Tigers have kept losing since the 2025 season resumed, taking the defeat in six of seven games in the second half, including being battered 11-4 by the Toronto Blue Jays in their first home game since MLB’s midseason hiatus.
After losing 10 of its past 11 games, Detroit now has the third-best record in the American League, at 60-44. Toronto has the league’s best mark, at 61-42, a half-game ahead of the 60-42 Houston Astros. The Tigers have the sixth-best record in MLB, with the Milwaukee Brewers (61-41), Chicago Cubs (60-42) and Los Angeles Dodgers (60-43) ahead of them as well.
“We’ve hit a collective rut where almost all of our guys are having an unproductive at-bat at some point, and it’s not easy to correct overnight,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said afterward, via MLive.com.
“But we’re working. We’re trying,” he continued. “These guys are coming up with good game plans, they’ve had great attitudes, they’re working. Then they get in the game, and when one bad thing happens, the dam breaks. That’s what’s happened over two weeks.”
The Blue Jays sent Detroit reeling Thursday with a five-run sixth inning kicked off by an RBI double from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. that tied the score 1-1. After Tigers starter Reese Olson got Bo Bichette to ground out, he intentionally walked Addison Barger to face Ernie Clement. Clement blew that strategy up with a three-run homer on a hanging slider in the middle of the strike zone.
Joey Loperfido followed with a solo home run off a changeup low and inside to give Toronto a 6-1 lead. Olson then hit Tyler Heineman and was pulled from the game in favor of Dietrich Enns. Enns finished the sixth inning but had his own difficulties in the seventh.
Nathan Lukes led off that frame with a double and was driven in on a one-out single from Guerrero. Bichette followed with a single and came home on a two-run triple by Barger. Clement then made it a 9-1 game by driving in Barger with a sacrifice fly.
Olson finished with five runs allowed on six hits and two walks in 5 2/3 innings. Enns gave up four runs and four hits in 1 1/3 innings. Geoff Hartlieb followed with two runs allowed, serving up a two-run homer to Lukes in the eighth inning. Only catcher Jake Rogers, a position player giving the Tigers’ bullpen a break, left unscathed, throwing a scoreless ninth.
Every Blue Jays starter got a hit Thursday, led by Guerrero, who was 3-for-5 with two RBI. Lukes, Clement, Loperfido and Will Wagner each got two hits. Meanwhile, Eric Lauer provided strong pitching, allowing one run and five hits over eight innings with six strikeouts. Chad Green allowed three runs in the ninth inning, including a homer by Spencer Torkelson, but the Toronto lead was too big for that to matter.
“I can’t say enough about it. He’s our unsung MVP, there’s no doubt about it, Clement said of Lauer (6-2, 2.61 ERA) to MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson. “He gives us a chance to win every time and then some. It’s special what he’s doing.”
Keider Montero (4-2, 4.28) gets the start for the Tigers on Friday, while José Berríos (6-4, 3.87) goes for the Blue Jays.
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