It is a tough time to be a Detroit Tigers fan after watching their beloved team get swept at home by the Cleveland Guardians this week in four games. The Motor City Kitties have now lost six straight, nine of the last 10, and 14 of the last 16 — that last stat is just one loss short of the worst stretch (2-15) the franchise experienced during the abysmal 2019 campaign from Jun 13 to July 13.
Perhaps the good news is that AJ Hinch’s squad hits the road this weekend to face a struggling Baltimore Orioles
team that is coming off a series sweep at the Tampa Bay Rays and has just one victory in its last six tries. It is truly a veritable crap vs crap matchup on deck here; if the Tigers continue to flail, things are looking really rough as we approach the 1/3 season mark.
To open things up at Camden Yards, Detroit turns to right-hander Jack Flaherty, who has posted an 8.41 ERA and 5.57 FIP over his last five starts stretching across 20 1/3 innings. The bright spot is the fact that the 30-year-old gave his team six frames last time out — just the second time this season he reached that mark.
The last time Flaherty saw the O’s was in 2024 with the Dodgers in Los Angeles on Aug. 27, when he earned a quality start for his six-inning effort that saw him allow three runs on six hits (two home runs) and two walks with five strikeouts in a game that he got saddled with the loss.
Opposite him is fellow righty Chris Bassitt, who has had three strong outings so far, while the others were nothing to write home about. However, his last start was not one of those — the 37-year-old allowed four runs on six hits (one home run) and a walk with four strikeouts over five frames to earn a loss against the Washington Nationals.
Bassitt’s last appearance against Detroit came on July 19, 2024, with the Blue Jays in Toronto, in which he allowed five runs on six hits (two home runs) and a walk while striking out six over 6 2/3 innings to earn the loss.
Take a look at how the two match up on Friday night. Make note that this game will be broadcast on Apple TV.
Detroit Tigers (20-31) vs. Baltimore Orioles (21-29)
Time (ET): 7:15 p.m.
Place: Camden Yards, Baltimore, Maryland
SB Nation Site: Camden Chat
Media: Apple TV, Tigers Radio Network
Game 52: RHP Jack Flaherty (0-5, 5.77 ERA) vs. RHP Chris Bassitt (3-3, 5.44 ERA)
FLAHERTY
BASSITT
