The Tigers were in this one as long as their pitching held up, and that lasted about six innings. A good start from Framber Valdez got a bit spoiled at the end, and then the bullpen fell apart in the late innings. More to the point, the Tigers managed just two hits on the day. The offense’s slump is now about three weeks old after a great run from June 1 into early August.
The rubber match of this series featured Framber Valdez taking on Tyler Glasnow after the Dodgers decided against pitching Shohei
Ohtani. The greatest player in the game, probably of all-time, is dealing with right biceps soreness and some knee issues, and it’s shown in his production at the plate recently as well as keeping him off the mound. The game was delayed about an hour due to light, but steady rain throughout the region.
Things started well for the Tigers when they finally peeled the tarp off the field. The top of the first saw Valdez racked up three quick ground outs of Shohei Ohtani, Tommy Edman, and Mookie Betts in an eight-pitch first inning.
Tyler Glasnow doesn’t throw quite as hard as his peak seasons, but it’s still a pretty great fastball. Gleyber Torres, Colt Keith, playing first base again with Spencer Torkelson on the bench, and Kevin McGonigle grounded out in quick succession in the bottom half.
The second started less auspiciously, as Valdez got ahead of Freddie Freeman 0-2, and then missed with four straight, though one probably could have been challenged by Dillon Dingler. The lefty bounced back by carving up Teoscar Hernandez on three pitches, whiffing him on a curveball down, but Miguel Rojas yanked a curveball into the left field corner for a double. Freeman held at third, but the situation wasn’t great. In a 2-2 count, Valdez doubled up on curveballs, and while Kyle Tucker appeared to check his swing, the third base umpire disagreed and rang him up. So it was up to Enrique Hernandez. Valdez spotted two good sinkers at the bottom of the zone to get ahead 0-2 and then dusted him with another one that was right down the middle to escape the jam and keep the Dodgers off the board.
Glasnow locked up Dingler with a good curveball for the first out of the bottom half. Brett Callahan grounded out to second, and while Zach McKinstry put up a better battle, he punched out to end the inning.
Ben Rortvedt flew out to open the third. Ohtani, who has done nothing in this series, finally hit a ball hard, but it was straight to Keith at first for the second out. Dingler challenged a first pitch to Edman that was called a ball and got that changed to a strike, and he grounded out to Javy Báez at shortstop. The Tigers went in order in the bottom of the third, with Max Clark hammering a ball to center that Hernandez ran down.
In the fourth, Valdez got Betts for the first out, but single from Freeman and Teoscar Hernandez followed. Rojas lifted a sacrifice fly to McKinstry in right field to plate Freeman, and it was 1-0 Dodgers. Tucker’s misery continued with a ground out to end the inning.
With a run on the board, things loosened up a bit. Gleyber Torres led off the bottom half with a single to center. A wild pitch advanced him to second, but Keith struck out swinging. McGonigle was up next, however, and he battled through a long at-bat and then drilled a one-hopper into left center field for a single to score Torres and tie the game 1-1. That knock was McGonigle’s 140th on the year, passing Al Kaline’s rookie mark.
Glasnow isn’t the quickest guy to the plate, and McGonigle tried to take advantage but was cut down by Rortvedt trying to steal second. Dingler drew a walk, but Callahan lifted a fly out to left to end the inning.
Valdez whiffed Enrique Hernandez with another good curveball to start the fifth, but Rortvedt lined a single to center as the lineup turned over. The lefty got ahead of Ohtani, and then fired a pitch that was classified as a 90.7 mph sinker up and in to get the whiff, but it looked like a changeup with late drop that tied the superstar into knots. Edman grounded out to end the inning.
Glasnow buzzsawed through the Tigers in a 1-2-3 bottom half.
Valdez was creeping toward 80 pitches as the sixth got underway, but he was throwing a heck of a game to that point. After a lengthy duel, he popped up Betts and Keith made the play. A 1-2 curveball down and in to Freeman was smoked down the right field line for a double. The Tigers were warming the bullpen with Tyler Kinley up as Teoscar Hernandez dug into the batter’s box. Unfortunately, Valdez left a changeup well up in the zone, and it got mashed to left for a two-run homer. 3-1 Dodgers.
Valdez got Rojas and Tucker, but the damage was done. He finished his outing at 105 pitches, but at the end of what could have been a really good outing, one bad pitch spoiled the start to a degree.
Báez and Torres grounded out in the bottom half as Glasnow continued to cruise for the most part. Colt Keith hammered a drive to right at 108 mph off the bat, but it was right to Tucker for the final out.
Tyler Kinley took over in the eighth for his second outing since the Tigers claimed him off waivers from the Braves last week. Enrique Hernandez greeted him with a solid single. Rortvedt tried to move him to second, but whiffed and Hernandez was leaning way off of first base and Dingler backpicked him. Kinley locked up Rortvedt with a curveball for the second out and Ohtani grounded out to first.
McGonigle was up first in the bottom half against Glasnow, who was still short of 80 pitches and looking very good. The star rookie lined out to left to start the frame. Dingler hit one hard as well, but right out to Enrique Hernandez in center. Callahan bit on an 0-1 curveball, and then grounded a fourseamer to Edman to end the inning.
Tanner Rainey was up next for the Tigers, and he got Edman to start the eighth. Mookie Betts, however, got a 3-1 fastball on the inner third and pulled it to left for a one-out double. Rainey then fell behind to Freeman as well and walked him. He dialed up 99 mph against Teoscar Hernandez, but was still wild. Dingler tried to backpick an aggressive Betts at second, but Torres whiffed on a poor throw and allowed both baserunners to advance. Rainey then drilled Hernandez to load the bases, and things were going off the rails.
Dave Roberts sent Max Muncy to hit for Rojas, looking for a big hit to put this one away. Rainey bounced an 0-1 slider that squirted away from Dingler, and Betts scored from third as everyone moved up 90 feet. Muncy pulled an RBI single through the right side, and now it was 4-1 Dodgers. This is the story on Rainey. He’s always had the stuff, but the 33-year-old has always had miserable command.
Rainey missed with two more pitches to Tucker and then fired one way wild that scored Teoscar. And then he walked Tucker too. That was finally the end of his day as Tigers fans let their displeasure be known. Kyle Finnegan took over and punched out two to mercifully end the inning. 6-1 Dodgers.
Kyle Hurt took over in the eighth for the Dodgers. Zach McKinstry banged a grounder up the middle but Mookie Betts made a great play to retire him for the first out. The right-hander fell behind against Hao-Yu Lee and eventually walked him. Max Clark got ahead in the count, but Hurt worked back even and whiffed him on a good changeup down, and Báez bounced out to Betts to send us to the ninth.
Jacob Waguespack took over for the Tigers, facing Ohtani to start the inning. Shohei watched a well located 2-2 heater down and away in the zone for strike three. Edman spanked one to left center field but Max Clark easily ran it down right before the warning track. Betts lined out to Callahan in left, and it was last call.
Seth Halvorsen and his triple digit gas took over to close this out for the Dodgers. Torres popped out. Keith grounded out. McGonigle flew out to center field, and the Dodgers had a 2-1 series victory. The Tigers scored just four runs in the three-game series.
The Tigers head out to Minnesota to start a series with the Twins on Monday night. They’ll finish the week with a set in Cleveland, starting with a doubleheader on Friday.
