DETROIT STRIKES OUT IN CHANCE TO GAIN GROUND ON CLEVELAND

Detroit struck out today in their chance to gain ground on the division leading Guardians with Cleveland defeating the Tigers 3-1 at Progressive Field, sending the motor city bengals to a 29-42 record for the season.

Skubal’s Bitter-Sweet Return

The big story for the Tigers was the return of ace Tarik Skubal. After undergoing innovative elbow surgery on May 6 to remove a loose body, the two-time reigning Cy Young winner made a surprisingly fast return to the mound. Skubal threw 80 pitches over 4.2 innings, striking out four batters while giving up five hits and two earned runs. While his velocity and shape showed flashes of dominance, he lacked his usual sharp command and ultimately took the loss to go 3-3 for the season.

Offense Stalls in Cleveland 

Detroit's bats couldn't string together rallies despite out-hitting Cleveland 9 to 8. The Tigers got on the board early in the first inning when Dillon Dingler hit an RBI single to score Gleyber Torres. 

Unfortunately, that was all the offense could muster off Cleveland starter Joey Cantillo, who moved to 5-3 after giving up just one run over five frames. The critical blow came in the third inning. Daniel Schneemann launched a 417-foot, two-run home run off Skubal to break a 1-1 tie and put the Guardians ahead for good.

Missed Opportunities

The Tigers left a staggering 11 runners on base, going a miserable 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position. Detroit threatened to stage a comeback in the top of the ninth when newly acquired outfielder James Outman drew a leadoff walk and Gleyber Torres singled to right. However, Guardians closer Cade Smith shut the door, forcing Matt Vierling into a game-ending groundout to lock down his 23rd save of the year.

The Tigers will look to bounce back and avoid a sweep in the final game of the series taking place on Sunday afternoon. While things may look dreadful at the moment for the Tigers' postseason hopes, the MLB season is a marathon not a sprint with three months of baseball still to play for the team. The American League Wild Card race remains highly volatile in June, meaning a hot two-week stretch can completely erase a deficit so if the Tigers can get hot all hope is not lost though the team's odds would greatly improve if the team stopped beating itself with missed offensive opportunities and errors.