CHICAGO -- In many ways, the Tigers’ 7-1 loss to the White Sox on Saturday afternoon at Rate Field felt like more of the same.
A slow start -- despite rallying later in the outing -- from left-hander Framber Valdez and missed scoring opportunities -- they were 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position and stranded seven baserunners -- sunk Detroit (22-37) to 15 games under .500, last place in the American League Central and a 6-21 record in May.
But the Tigers know there’s no sense in sulking about another loss that feels like it’s swaying them further away from where they wanted to be when the season started.
“I know some of these games are sort of rinse and repeat, and it feels like it’s the same thing,” manager A.J. Hinch said after the club’s eighth consecutive series loss. “These guys are battling. We’re going to stay together. The worst thing we can do is start pointing fingers and start assessing blame. We’ve got to find solutions.
“Am I tired of talking about the same type of game? Of course. We all are very frustrated, but there’s no quit in me. There’s no quit in us and tomorrow can be a better day.”
Detroit’s offense, which is without Kerry Carpenter (left shoulder sprain) and Gleyber Torres (mild left oblique strain), among others, had opportunities to change the course of the game, despite a six-run deficit in the final score. For much of the game, the White Sox held a 2-1 lead, and in the fourth, the Tigers looked primed to tie or take the lead.
Riley Greene and Spencer Torkelson hit consecutive one-out singles, which brought up Jahmai Jones against left-hander Anthony Kay for a matchup that last season would have had the Tigers salivating. Jones posted a .970 OPS against southpaws in 2025.
Instead, Jones grounded into an inning-ending double play to third base on a ball that had a 103.9 mph exit velocity. Jones is hitting .190 against left-handers this season and he has grounded into as many double plays against southpaws this year (three) as he did in ‘25.
“I had to get a job done there and unfortunately didn’t. If those runs score, who knows how the tide of the game goes,” Jones said. “Just hitting some balls hard at people and, unfortunately, just need to find some grass and give the pitchers the support they’ve been trying to give us. And just try to get rolling.”
Jones, like Hinch and the rest of this Tigers team, believes they have time to turn the season around. They know firsthand how quickly things can change. Last year, they held an 11-game lead on the Guardians in the AL Central in September, only to see Cleveland storm back and take the division crown.
“We thought we had a comfortable lead in front and baseball happens,” Jones said. “So just as one end of the spectrum happens, the other end of the spectrum’s there as well and I don’t think anyone in this room is thinking our season’s over. There’s still a lot of baseball to be played. There’s still a lot that can happen. I mean, we haven’t even gotten into June yet.”
Turning it around starts with Sunday’s finale against the White Sox. A win on the final day of May, coupled with potential returns from Carpenter and Torres, can provide a spark to overcome a 7 1/2-game deficit from a playoff spot.
“We understand where we’re at position-wise, but we’re still confident in the guys in this room and the team that we have, some guys coming back,” Jones said. “And who’s to say that the next month isn’t our best month of baseball and [we] get it rolling from there?”