CLEVELAND – You've gotta be freaking kidding me.
The Detroit Tigers did it again. They blew another lead, wasting a fine starting pitching performance. Wasting another game. Wasting a season, really. Beep, this is a recording.
This time, the Cleveland Guardians came from behind to beat the Tigers, 4-3, in the 10th inning of the second game of a doubleheader at Progressive Field on Friday, Sept. 4. This time, Travis Bazzana won it, getting a game-winning RBI single off Kenley Jansen, the Tigers' closer.
Just so you aren't confused – all of these heartbreaking late-inning losses kind of run together – the Tigers also blew the first game of this doubleheader when Brayan Rocchio
crushed a home run – his second of the game (to go with a tying grand slam in the fourth inning), as Cleveland walkedit off with a stunning 7-6 win.
Two games, two walk offs.
"I'm kind of at a loss of words because that's a tough one," Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said after the first game.
Yes, it applied to the second as well.
Beep, this is a recording.
On the mound: Andrew Sears' impressive start
Tigers rookie left-hander Andrew Sears got the start for the Tigers, his first in the MLB, and he was impressive, to say the least.
To be clear, starting is really nothing new for Sears. He made 12 starts in the minor leagues this year and in 53 of 65 total minor league games in his career. But starting in the big leagues? That's a whole different animal. But he handled it with composure.
Pitching in his fourth MLB game, Sears looked comfortable and in control, holding the Guardians scoreless through five innings – at that point, the longest stint of his MLB career. Would Tigers manager A.J. Hinch replace him? Nope. Sears raced out of the dugout to pitch the sixth inning, at a time the Tigers held a 3-0 lead.
Sears threw one pitch to Travis Bazzana, who popped out to left. After he plunked José Ramírez, Sears got Jo Adell to pop out to second base. But Nathaniel Lowe doubled to right-center, driving in a run. It was the one big blemish on Sears’ performance. Hinch removed him from the game and replaced him with Beau Brieske, who struck out Daniel Schneemann to end the threat.
Sears threw 5⅔ innings allowing four hits with four strikeouts and two walks – a fine performance considering the Tigers needed him to eat innings after a bullpen-heavy first game.
Even though the second game of a doubleheader feels like a fresh start, a chance at redemption after losing the first, the second game of a doubleheader is always impacted by what happened in the first one. And the Tigers burned through three relievers in the first losing cause.
“It is an expensive loss when you use pitching like that, knowing you have nine more innings to play,” Hinch said after the first game.
But Sears took away some of the pressure off when he pitched into the sixth inning.
Brieske was fantastic, recording three strikeouts in 1⅓ scoreless innings of work.
Hinch turned to right-hander Jacob Waguespack, who entered with a 3-1 lead in the eighth inning. But the lead disappeared when Bazzana crushed a 2-run homer to tie it up.
Jansen got through the ninth. In the 10th, the Guardians tried to bunt the ghost runner over but Colt Keith made a fine play, fielding it and throwing the ghost runner out at third. But Brayn Rocchio stole second and third.
At the plate: Hao-Yu Lee leaves with injury
The Tigers struck in the third, stacking together some hits. It started with a single by Zach McKinstry. After Gleyber Torres walked, Hao-Yu Lee singled to center, bringing home McKinstry.
Then, Kevin McGonigle doubled to right, driving in Torres. But then, it proved costly for the Tigers when Lee was injured in a collisionat home plate.
Spencer Torkelson hit a grounder that was fielded by Ramírez at third. Lee went on contact and Ramírez threw home to catcher Austin Hedges. Lee crashed into Hedges and stayed on the ground in obvious pain. He walked gingerly off the field.
He was removed from the game with a left shin contusion.
Hinch brought in Dillon Dingler, who quickly doubled in the fifth inning. Then, Eduardo Valencia had an RBI single, giving the Tigers their 3-0 lead that they couldn't hold onto.
Next up: Another mistake by the lake?
Left-hander Framber Valdez (8-10, 4.36) will get the start for the Tigers in the third game of this series on Saturday night (6:10 p.m., Detroit SportsNet). Lefty Parker Messick (11-8, 2.46) will start for the Guardians.
The Tigers (64-77) will enter Saturday at 7½games back of the Guardians (72-70) for the third and final American League wild-card spot. They also dropped to 10 games back of the Chicago White Sox, who played late against the Minnesota Twins, in the AL Central race.
Contact Jeff Seidel: jseidel@freepress.com. Follow him on X @seideljeff
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Nightcap doubly painful for Tigers with 2nd walk-off loss to Guardians
