Unexpected. 

Tigers 3, A’s 2

If you said, “hey, I bet the Tigers bullpen could win an entire game,” entering this season, collect your prize. Alex Wilson and Kyle Ryan combined for a great start to set up the Yoenis Cespedes three run home run in the 5th that proved to be the difference. It got a little dicey as the A’s grabbed a run in the 7th and 8th and threatened in the 9th, but the Tigers held on and secured a series win on a day in which Dixon Machado grabbed his first MLB hit. It wasn’t the cleanest series but the Tigers won twice against a solid team (ignore their record, mostly). They’ll head south to LA to take on the Trouts on Thursday starting with Buck Farmer (2015 Debut).

The Moment: Cespedes turns on one to score three.

Narrow.

Tigers 1, A’s 0

The Tigers got their only run two batters into the game. It was the only run either team would score all night. David Price (10 GS, 66.2 IP, 2.97 ERA, 3.31 FIP) surrendered contact, some of it was hard, but he managed to deliver seven shutout innings of baseball before turning it over to the Joba-Gorz-Soria tandem, including four outs from Joakim Soria. Thankfully, the first 10pm start for the Tigers was a quick affair, courtesy of neither team’s offense really doing very much. Someone, probably Kyle Ryan (2015 Debut) will start Wednesday in place of Simon.

The Moment: Gose scampers around the bases in the first.

Quiet.

A’s 4, Tigers 0

In general, allowing four runs against the A’s isn’t a particularly poor showing, especially considering the stars aligning for a Billy Butler infield single. The full line doesn’t look great for Shane Greene (10 GS, 59 IP, 4.27 ERA, 3.49 FIP) but he gave the offense a chance to make it a game. Unfortunately, the Tigers bats didn’t get anything going all afternoon. They had two men on just once today and promptly grounded into a double play. You’re never surprised when the bats are quite after a cross-country-flight-day-game combo, but after a couple of hard losses, it might feel a little worse. David Price (9 GS, 59.2 IP, 3.32 ERA, 3.35 FIP) will look to change the tune on Tuesday night.

The Moment: Castellanos makes a find sliding grab in the 3rd.

A roller coaster.

Astros 10, Tigers 8

I think this just about says it all. Anibal Sanchez (10 GS, 60.1 IP, 6.12 ERA, 4.44 FIP) struggled in the first, got back on track, and was then left in until he broke. The bats did their job to rally back, but they couldn’t prevent runs. You’re okay losing a game in which the starter didn’t perform well, but when get yourself to a 7-3 lead in the 6th, you have to wonder if they didn’t give this one away. Shane Greene (9 GS, 53.1 IP, 4.05 ERA, 3.65 FIP) takes the ball out west.

The Moment: Holaday clears the bases in the first.

Deflating. 

Astros 3, Tigers 2

The Tigers and Astros traded 3rd inning runs, and when the Tigers scored on a Jose Altuve error in the 5th, it was looking like the Tigers were on their way to another victory. Then, on a 2-1 pitch, Ian Kinsler grounded into a 5-4-3 triple play, killing a big threat for the Tigers. In the top of the next frame, the Astros punched through for two more runs against Kyle Lobstein (8 GS, 47.2 IP, 4.34 ERA, 4.11 FIP) and Alburquerque, and then handed it off to their bullpen to shut down the Tigers bats. If you’re going to lose a game, you imagine it will be the Lobstein game, but it did feel like the Tigers gave away a big chance on a bit of dumb luck when Kinsler bounced it right to third. They’ll still have a shot to win the series Sunday with Anibal Sanchez (9 GS, 54.2 IP, 5.60 ERA, 4.39 FIP) getting ball.

The Moment: McCann scampers home on a Gose ROE.

A little payback.

Tigers 6, Astros 2

This game was mostly about the third inning. It started with Alfredo Simon (9 GS, 57.1 IP, 2.67 ERA, 3.60 FIP) allowing his first run during a Kinsler error and letting it snowball with a big double to center, but it ended with JD Martinez driving in Iggy and Gose with a dinger to right field a pitch after missing one down the left field line. It was an otherwise snappy affair until the Tigers insured themselves in the 8th with a Cabrera single, Cespedes double/error, Davis infield hit, and McCann single to break it open. McHugh was solid and Simon was as well, but the Tigers have already earned no worse than a split heading into the Kyle Lobstein (7 GS, 42 IP, 4.29 ERA, 4.08 FIP) game on Saturday.

The Moment: JD Martinez goes the other way for a 3-run homer immediately after hooking one foul.

Nicely bookended. 

Tigers 6, Astros 5

If you were trying to cheat on your recap, you were all ready to lead with some Nick Castellanos related observation. After all, his big two run bomb in the 4th seemed like a decisive blow, especially after the club added on in the 4th, but the story was rewritten as the afternoon progressed. The Tigers were up 5-0 entering the 7th when the Astros started to get to David Price (9 GS, 59.2 IP, 3.32 ERA, 3.33 FIP), who struck out 12 in 6.2 innings while allowing 3 runs in his final frame. Price was sharp early and just lost it a bit at the end, but his bullpen didn’t help him out, allowing one of his runs to score and plating two of their own to send it into extra innings. When the 11th inning came it was James McCann who sent everyone home happy, walking off for the first time and also clearing the fence for the first time as well. The win is the club’s second straight and they’ll try to make it three Friday night with Alfredo Simon (8 GS, 50.1 IP, 3.04 ERA, 3.80 FIP) on the mound.

The Moment: McCann walks off!

Late blooming. 

Tigers 5, Brewers 2

For most of the evening, it looked like we were in for another night lamenting the not-quite-there Tigers offense. Over the first 7 innings, the teams traded runs on two occasions, allowing Shane Greene (9 GS, 53.1 IP, 4.05 ERA, 3.66 FIP) to look good over 6.1 innings, preventing the Tigers from controlling the game. With two outs in the 8th, Martinez and Cespedes walked, Collins singled, and Castellanos came to the plate in the definition of a high leverage situation. He fouled off a pair of two strike pitches before punching one down in the right field corner behind Parra to clear the bases and give the Tigers a path to victory. Soria allowed a double to start the 9th, but gathered himself to get the final three outs and spare the club a sweep. David Price (8 GS, 53 IP, 3.40 ERA, 3.76 FIP) is in line to face the Astros on Thursday.

The Moment: Castellanos sends one into the corner for a bases-clearing triple.

Blech.

Brewers 8, Tigers 1

All you need to know about this game is that the bullpen was the good part. The rest kinda falls into place. The bats couldn’t get anything going against the pedestrian Nelson and Anibal Sanchez (9 GS, 54.2 IP, 5.60 ERA, 4.41) got tagged for three straight, out-of-reach-putting homers in the 3rd inning. Ausmus got tossed after some bad calls against Kinsler but the Tigers went pretty quietly otherwise. The club will look to avoid the sweep Wednesday behind Shane Greene (8 GS, 47 IP, 4.21 ERA, 3.53 FIP).

The Moment: Kinsler says bad words to the umpire and then his manager gets tossed?

Too National League-y.

Brewers 3, Tigers 2

It didn’t take long for Carlos Gomez to shake up the Comerica Park crowd by launching a leadoff home run down the left field line, but Kyle Lobstein (7 GS, 42 IP, 4.29 ERA, 4.10 FIP) settled in and gave the Tigers some good innings against the visiting Brewers. Ramirez got him for another homer in the 4th and then Gomez added another run with a single in the 7th to chase the young lefty. The Tigers did their scoring the National League way, manufacturing a run in the 1st and 2nd inning  each and not getting much going otherwise. After playing very well against the best team in the NL Central, the Tigers put together a poor showing against the worst team in that division. Anibal Sanchez (8 GS, 51 IP, 4.76 ERA, 3.70 FIP) will look to turn it around Tuesday.

The Moment: Anthony Gose lays out to make an inning ending grab in the 7th.