After a four-game series against the Twins (where Detroit just
fell short of the sweep), the Tigers headed home to face off against the Astros for a three-game outing. The Astros, sitting in first place in the AL West, were going to be a tough competitor for the Tigers, and in the first game of the series, they were leaning on Jack Flaherty. The Astros, meanwhile, were counting on Spencer Arrighetti.Flaherty had some issues right out of the gate against the Astros’ batters. With one out, Carlos Correa
got a double, followed by a Jose Altuve single. With two outs, Christian Walker walked, but Flaherty managed to pitch out of the jam and get the final out of the inning. In the home half, Colt Keith got a leadoff single, and then with two outs, he stole second. However, a Riley Greene strikeout ended the inning with Keith stranded.
With two outs in the top of the second, Jacob Melton got a free bag after being hit by a pitch. He then stole second. Flaherty once again got himself out of the inning. In the bottom of the inning, Spencer Torkelson drew a walk, then Wenceel Perez got on after being hit by a pitch. Dillon Dingler got the longest, most “almost a home run” looking single I’ve seen all season as it bounced off the padding of the left field wall, but in a bases-loaded scenario, the Tigers failed to bring anyone home as a strikeout and double play ended the inning scoreless.
Flaherty was in his groove by the third, getting the side out on order, though the third out of the inning owed a lot to an incredible catch at first by Spencer Torkelson, well-covered by Flaherty. Kerry Carpenter got a two-out walk in the home half, but the Tigers couldn’t convert the run.
Christian Walker singled to start the fourth, but a strikeout and pitch-perfect double-play ended the inning. After one out in the bottom of the inning, Wenceel Perez first fouled mere feet from a home run, before hitting a no-doubt home run to right. They’d have to settle for the one run, but they were on the board first.
In the top of the fifth, Flaherty got a 1-2-3 inning. Colt Keith continued to have himself a heck of a night with a one-out double. Gleyber Torres walked. Kerry Carpenter then tripled to score two runs. But the Tigers weren’t done yet, as Riley Greene came in and hit a two-run homer.
Spencer Torkelson drew a walk, followed by a Wenceel Perez single. Perez stole second, but then Dingler hit into an unassisted double play to end the inning.
In the top of the sixth, Flaherty got the side out in order, getting his eighth straight out in a row. Arrighetti’s day was done, replaced by Tayler Scott. And Great Scott, Trey Sweeney tripled to start the home half. A groundout followed but then a Colt Keith sac fly brought Sweeney home and bumped the score up to 6-0. Gleyber Torres and Kerry Carpenter got back-to-back walks, but the Tigers couldn’t bring either of them in.
It was another three-up, three-down inning for Flaherty, and his last of the game. His final line was 7.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 9 K on 90 pitches. Aside from an uneven start in the first two innings, it was a really nice game for Jack overall. Torkelson got a leadoff single in the home half, followed by a single for Dingler. Trey Sweeney then homered to right to bring three runs in. Colt Keith followed that up with a solo homer of his own.
Bryan King replaced Scott to get the final out of the inning, but the Tigers were up 10-0 at the end of the seventh inning.
Troy Melton came in for Flaherty in the eighth, along with Jahmai Jones for Carpenter and Andy Ibanez for Torkelson. Melton got the Astros out in order. Chas McCormick was the new Astros pitcher in the home half—a classic position player pitching—and he hit Jahmai Jones with a pitch. Jake Rogers came in to pinch-hit for Greene and struck out. Andy Ibanez singled. Dingler grounded into a double play to end the inning.
Alex Lange made his 2025 debut in the ninth, and gave up a leadoff single to Ramon Urias. Then, with one out, Urias advanced to second on defensive indifference. Jesus Sanchez then drew a walk. Christian Walker then singled to load the bases, and while I’m thrilled to see Lange back, he doesn’t need to be so dramatic about it, thanks. While he certainly kept it interesting, he also got the final two outs and maintained the shutout.
