The Detroit Tigers’ woes continued on Friday night, losing for the fourth straight time and seventh of the last eight games in a 3-1 final against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. The offense has been arctic cold of late, scoring just seven runs over those four straight losses, which left no breathing room for Drew Anderson’s modest three runs allowed.
Alas, that playoff spot is looking further and further out of reach.
On the mound for the Tigers to try and salvage a win is left-hander
Framber Valdez, who has had two straight rough outings after posting a pair of quality starts to open up August. Over the 32-year-old’s last 11 1/3 innings, he has put up a 6.35 ERA and 5.47 FIP, allowing 11 hits (one home run) and nine walks while striking out eight, hitting a batter and throwing a wild pitch.
Valdez has faced Kansas City twice this season — both in Detroit — with varying results. On April 14, he tossed seven frames of one-run ball on four hits and two walks with a strikeout for a no-decision in a 2-1 team win; on July 26, he served up three runs (two earned) on four hits (0ne home run) and three walks with four strikeouts over five frames, also failing to figure in the decision in an eventual 5-4 loss.
For the Royals, fellow southpaw Daniel Lynch IV will climb the hill in the series finale for his fourth start of the 2026 campaign after appearing in relief 46 times. The 29-year-old has struggled in the starting role, throwing 1 2/3, 2 1/3 and four innings, respectively, over his three previous outings, with subpar results that include a 7.88 ERA and 6.33 FIP, surrendering eight hits (two home runs) and four walks while striking out six to earn a pair of losses.
“We’re going to probably take a shot at putting him there (and) see how it goes,” manager Matt Quatraro said before his first start against the Chicago Cubs. “He’s thrown a couple of innings before. We’ll see how far he can get tomorrow. But we’ll do it responsibly. With the injuries we’ve had, we have a spot in the rotation.”
So despite the limited innings, it does not appear that Lynch is serving as a true opener — he has just struggled in the few frames he has started in. He did look much better last time out against the Athletics at Kauffman Stadium, giving up just one run on a pair of hits, walks and strikeouts in his four frames of work.
Here is how the two match up for Sunday afternoon’s matinee.
Detroit Tigers (61-68) vs. Kansas City Royals (57-74)
Time (ET): 2:10 p.m.
Place: Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
SB Nation Site: Royals Review
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Game 130: LHP Framber Valdez (8-8, 4.35 ERA) vs. LHP Daniel Lynch IV (4-4, 2.83 ERA)
VALDEZ
LYNCH
