DETROIT -- When the young and rebuilding Tigers are playing well and winning games, their entertaining style of play usually takes the credit. The separation between entertaining and chaotic is an important one, though, as was the case in Tuesday night's 6-3 loss to the White Sox at Comerica Park.
The struggles were most prominent in the first inning, when a mix of issues in the field made for a frustrating night for manager Ron Gardenhire.
"The guys were trying," Gardenhire said. "We just weren't pretty. We just had one of those 'Bad News Bears' days."
A bloop single by Matt Davidson fell between center fielder Victor Reyes and second baseman Niko Goodrum, which loaded the bases with one out. The Tigers could have gotten a force out at second, but Jose Iglesias stayed put at shortstop and didn't cover the bag. Daniel Palka then hit an RBI single to Nicholas Castellanos in right field. Castellanos bobbled the exchange and made a bad throw home that short-hopped catcher James McCann and reached the backstop.
The most noticeable blunder came when Kevan Smith hit a sacrifice fly ball to Reyes with one out. Palka got caught in a rundown between first and second. He was tagged for the third out, but not before Davidson scored from second to make it 3-0.

"I had to talk to about 16 people in the first inning in the dugout, trying to figure out what we needed to do different there," Gardenhire said. "Some of those things, I haven't seen. I wish I could help you right now, but I really have to sit down and think about this."
First baseman Jim Adduci took the blame after the game for letting the run score before getting the out.
"The play developed, and I should have just tagged him," he said. "That's my fault."
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As taxing as that first inning was, the Tigers responded immediately with three runs of their own to build back momentum.
With runners on second and third and two outs, Victor Martinez hit a two-run double down the left-field line. Martinez then scored on a single by Adduci.

But even after that, miscues continued to pop up for the Tigers, like a throwing error by starter Blaine Hardy, who gave up four runs over four innings, and a wild pitch by Zach McAllister that let a runner advance to second base. McAllister was charged with the White Sox last two runs in the fifth inning.
The Tigers entered Tuesday with 60 errors committed this season, eighth-fewest in the American League, but they're in a tough place defensively. They traded away center fielder Leonys Martin at the non-waiver Trade Deadline and recently placed JaCoby Jones on the 10-day disabled list. At this point, Castellanos is the only mainstay in the outfield, and that's primarily for what he offers as a hitter.
Adduci is playing in place of the injured Jose Cabrera and John Hicks. And Goodrum, whose diving catch in the seventh inning stood out, is still honing his role as the everyday second baseman.
"Everyone goes through stuff," Goodrum said. "Everyone's learning and figuring everything out. Things change, and you have to adapt."

IGLESIAS EXITS WITH INJURY
Iglesias left the game after the eighth inning with a right thumb contusion, the Tigers announced. As he was leaving the clubhouse following the game, Iglesias told reporters that he actually hurt the thumb two games ago when he got jammed inside while hitting. Gardenhire called it a "deep thumb" bruise and said they would look at it Wednesday morning. Ronny Rodriguez replaced Iglesias and singled in his only at-bat in the ninth inning.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Down by three runs in the sixth inning, the Tigers loaded the bases with no one out, following singles by Goodrum and Martinez and a walk by Adduci. But White Sox starter Lucas Giolito doused the threat by getting McCann to fly out to shallow right field, striking out Mike Gerber and inducing a popup to third off the bat of Reyes.

"That was a big one," Gardenhire said. "Loaded them up, guy made some pitches on us, and that's where we need to come up with a big hit and get back in it."
SOUND SMART
Iglesias hit a double in the first inning to give him 29 on the season. That ranks No. 2 on the Tigers, behind Castellanos (33).
HE SAID IT
"Sometimes, they're trying to be too patient, and you're taking pitches that you should be swinging at, but that's baseball. That's what happens in this game. You're trying to figure it out, and they're trying to [mess] with you a little bit with the ball, and that's what happens." -- Gardenhire, on the Tigers striking out 13 times
UP NEXT
Jordan Zimmermann (5-4, 3.98 ERA) will take the hill for the Tigers in the series finale against the White Sox on Wednesday. Zimmermann lasted 6 1/3 innings in his most recent start, allowing two unearned runs. Carlos Rodon (3-3, 2.61) will start for Chicago. Rodon has a 1.27 ERA since the beginning of July, the best in the Majors. First pitch is slated for 1:10 p.m. ET.