CHICAGO -- Considering how much Tim Anderson tormented the Tigers over his White Sox career, maybe it was fitting that his return to Rate Field to be honored would precede a result like this.
Then again, Thursday’s 3-1 Tigers loss was a microcosm of Detroit’s struggles this season:
- They’re 17-32 against division foes, compared to 30-22 last year and 28-24 in 2024.
- They’re 21-48 in games decided by two runs or less. Within those division struggles, the Tigers are 9-23 in division games decided by two runs or fewer, behind the 14-16 Royals for the worst in the division.
- The Tigers have yet to win a division game on the road decided by two runs or fewer this season, going 0-13. By contrast, they went 11-3 in those situations last year.
That’s how a team with the fourth-best run differential (+74) in the American League this season, 38 runs better than the division-leading White Sox, is a loss away (at 72-81) from clinching its first losing season since 2023.
“I think it gives us something to focus on, something to learn from, to grow from, and to know that we’re right there,” said Spencer Torkelson. “We’ve also been on the other side of these close ballgames a lot.”
Those close struggles began with much the same roster that thrived in close games the past couple years. It’s a much younger team now, which turns a symptom into a teachable moment.
“Mistakes are mistakes, and we’re learning on the fly a little bit,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “And certainly when you see these games and how they play out, a base hit here, a base hit there is one thing, but the self-inflicted ones – whether it’s decisions made on the bases or whether it’s executing a play – our guys are seeing firsthand how close [plays] matter.”
Said Torkelson: “I think you have to play in them to know how to win them, and I think it’s a great learning opportunity and we’re going to learn how to build off of it.”
Here’s where the margins turned Thursday:
Missed outs extend opening inning
Munetaka Murakami’s three-run homer off Framber Valdez in the first inning was the difference, but the inning got to Murakami thanks in part to infield defense, which haunted Detroit for a second straight game. Chase Meidroth’s leadoff single bounced off Kevin McGonigle’s glove down the third-base line. Randal Grichuk seemed to slip running out of the box on a ground ball to third, but the Tigers couldn’t turn a double play. Javier Báez, seeing no chance to get Grichuk at first, held the ball at second.
Though Valdez got seven ground-ball outs on a night with seven baserunners over five innings, the Tigers did not record a double play.
One bad pitch
Murakami’s homer was the only hit of the night with runners in scoring position; the two clubs combined to go 1-for-19 and left 17 runners on base. Valdez hadn’t allowed a home run in 13 September innings, but he paid for a first-pitch sinker over the middle of the plate.
“I think there was no one pitch to regret,” said Valdez, through translation from Tigers director of Spanish communications Carlos Guillen said. “I think I just left it there hanging and he managed to make good contact with it. But if you put that aside, I was doing my job, being aggressive, having them hit as many ground balls as possible.”
Baserunning aggressiveness
Considering the Tigers hustled their way into a playoff spot two years ago by challenging defenders on the basepaths, it’s tough to blame them going back to that playbook with their season on the line.
Thursday looked like a throwback to former Tigers third-base Joey Cora, who challenged baserunners to take the extra bases and dare defenders to make a play. In this case, the White Sox made the plays, sometimes incredibly.
“Mistakes happen,” Torkelson said. “I think I like the aggressiveness on those plays. They made perfect plays. We were aggressive, which we preach.”
Torkelson led off the sixth inning with a drive off the left-field fence. He tried to take second base, but Grichuk played the bounce and threw on target to Meidroth to get him.
“Obviously it took a great throw from the fence line,” Hinch said. “That one was a little bit more unfortunate, but it always plays big when you make an out on the bases.”
In the eighth, Brett Callahan tried to go first to third on Max Clark’s infield single. Callahan hesitated at second, then took off when third baseman Miguel Vargas threw across the infield. Murakami threw back to Vargas, who made an acrobatic tag to retire Callahan and end the inning.
“His run just gets us closer,” Hinch said. “It always means something, but it wasn’t going to tie the game or take the lead. You can’t make an out there. It’s a lesson for him. He got a little overaggressive and a little anxious there and thought he could beat the throw.”