MINNEAPOLIS -- Nobody needs to be reminded that the Tigers have been stuck in an untimely rut, dropping 14 of their last 17 games after their 15-2 loss to the Twins on Tuesday at Target Field.
But their latest loss was reflective of how an otherwise promising season turned sour so quickly. Because for four innings, the Tigers were hanging tough, competitive and battling.
And then the roof caved in.
The Twins took advantage of a Dillon Dingler throwing error to score three runs in the fifth to take a 4-1 lead. Then in the sixth, Minnesota sent 15 men to the plate and scored 10 runs -- which is one more run than the Tigers had scored in their previous six games combined -- to turn a close game into a second consecutive double-digit loss.
“It's a pretty low feeling just because we're not in a good place right now, and we're not executing the way that we're accustomed to, in the way that we're talented enough to,” manager A.J. Hinch said.
Despite allowing a career-high five earned runs (and two more unearned), the night wasn’t all bad for Tigers starter Troy Melton. In fact, save for one mistake, his first four innings were virtually flawless.
Melton retired the first two Twins hitters on four pitches. But after falling behind Kody Clemens 3-0, Melton threw a high fastball over the center of the plate. Clemens had the green light, and the former Tiger blasted his second homer in as many nights, another no-doubt shot onto the plaza beyond the seats in right field.
Ryan Jeffers followed with a line drive to right that skipped under the glove of a hard-charging Javier Báez, playing right field for the first time in his Major League career, resulting in a triple for Jeffers. But Melton recovered to strike out Josh Bell to end the inning.
Melton then set the Twins down in order in the second, third and fourth innings. Ten straight retired, and it looked like the Tigers’ young ace had things under control.
But things quickly unraveled.
Melton walked Trevor Larnach to lead off the fifth, and Royce Lewis doubled to put runners on second and third with nobody out. Hinch pulled the infield in, and the strategy worked like a charm. Rookie shortstop John Peck made a nice play on Kaelen Culpepper's short-hop grounder, froze the runners and threw to first for the first out.
Walker Jenkins then hit another to Peck that he fielded cleanly again. This time, Larnach broke for the plate, and Peck’s throw home led to a rundown. But as Dingler chased the runner back to third base, he threw the ball into left field, allowing two runners to score. Luke Keaschall’s double afterwards drove in another run to give the Twins a 4-1 lead.
“[Hao-Yu] Lee was right there in position to get the out, and it was an extra out when it felt like we were close to getting out of that inning,” Hinch said.
Melton went out to start the sixth and got the first out. Then Bell singled and Melton hit Larnach in the foot. Lewis crushed the next pitch into the batter’s eye in center for a three-run homer and the rout was on.
“He put a really good swing on a slider right down the middle, a homer to dead center, and that's three runs that happened pretty quick. I don't think I was fatigued or anything,” Melton said when asked if his career-high 102 1/3 innings are taking a toll. “I just think I made two bad pitches back to back.”
Melton might not have liked his final stat line, but his assessment of the outing showed the perspective more in line with a 10-year veteran than a 25-year-old making just his 33rd career start.
“Process-wise, I feel like it really wasn't as bad as the results were. I think I've had a lot of starts where the process was worse than that and the results were better,” Melton said. “Obviously a tough time to do that with how last night went and the vibe that’s been going on, but stuff like that's going to happen, and I’ve just got to be better next time.”