The Tigers are still firmly in the AL playoff hunt, but they haven't done themselves any favors of late.
Though Detroit enters Monday just one game out of the third AL Wild Card spot, it was swept at home over the weekend by the division-leading White Sox, putting a temporary halt to what had been a surprising second-half surge. But the team will look to get back on positive footing tonight when it takes on the Pirates at 7:05 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Though four games below .500 at 60-64, Detroit has stayed competitive enough to be a factor in a crowded AL playoff field in which nine teams enter Monday in good position to vie for a Wild Card spot. The Tigers are 16-12 since the All-Star break -- the fourth-best record in the AL over that time -- but are just 5-5 over their past 10 games.
They've missed the bat of outfielder Riley Greene, who's on the 10-day IL with a hamstring injury, while Dillon Dingler, their slugging catcher, has been mired in a 2-for-38 (.053) slump. Still, they've had some standout performers during this stretch.
Rookie Eduardo Valencia is hitting .375 with two homers and a 1.287 OPS in his past five games, while veteran Gleyber Torres is batting .345 with a .904 OPS over his past seven. Meanwhile, rookie Ben Malgeri popped two homers Friday against the White Sox. So, the talent is there to renew a push toward a Wild Card spot -- the Tigers just need things to start clicking again.
Meanwhile, the Pirates (61-65) have seen their playoff hopes dwindle in recent weeks. They're 11-18 since the All-Star break and enter Monday six games out of the final NL Wild Card spot. Still, they're in position to finish with their best record in nearly a decade. And thanks to strong seasons from the likes of Brandon Lowe (26 homers), Nick Gonzales (.307 average), Bryan Reynolds (.810 OPS) and others, they enter the day with a .257 team average, which ranks third in the Majors, and a .745 OPS, which ranks fourth.
In Monday's game against Detroit, they'll face lefty Framber Valdez (7-8, 4.26 ERA), who allowed four earned runs over 5 2/3 innings against the Guardians in his last start after allowing two earned runs or fewer in his previous three outings.
Carmen Mlodzinski (6-5, 3.79 ERA) will start for Pittsburgh, looking to keep the Tigers struggling. If Valdez is on his game, though, the Tigers' offense won't need to carry the load. But Detroit will probably still need to hang some crooked numbers to get its postseason pursuit back on track.