The vibes were high in the Tigers clubhouse heading into the third and final game of the series against the Angels. After winning the first two games by a combined 9-1 score, Detroit fans had their brooms ready. Unfortunately, they had to put them away as the Tigers came up just short in a 3-2 loss.
Detroit falls back to seven games under .500 at 46-53, slips to 6.5 games behind the White Sox in the division after Chicago 's 3-0 win, and now trails the Red Sox by 4.5 games for the final American League Wild Card spot. Boston extended its winning streak to 13 games with a little help from an old friend, Jahmai Jones .
Even through the tough loss, rough at-bats and another injury concern, there were still three Tigers who stood above the rest.
Holton pitched just 1.1 innings, but he struck out two and looked a bit reminiscent of the dominant 2024 version Tigers fans are still hoping to see every time he takes the mound.
After Detroit's first three pitchers each allowed an earned run, Holton came in and clamped down on the Angels lineup.
It was the type of outing fans have come to expect from Holton, but after his rocky start to the season, a performance like this is music to Tigers fans' ears.
Trailing 3-1 in the top of the ninth inning, Greene launched a towering solo shot over the right-field wall for his 14th home run of the season, pulling Detroit within one run.
It was a monumental swing, and while the Tigers ultimately fell short, it was another example of the grit this team continues to show.
Although it came a little too late, Greene's home run served as a reminder of just how talented he is. After going hitless in the All-Star Game and looking a bit out of rhythm recently, his clutch ninth-inning swing was a much-needed confidence boost for both himself and Tigers fans.
McGonigle wasted no time making an impact.
On the third pitch of the game, he turned on a 93 mph sinker and drove it the opposite way over the center-field wall for his ninth home run of the season, giving Detroit an early 1-0 lead.
Just one day earlier, McGonigle became the first Tigers player since Ty Cobb to record 100 hits before his 100th career game, a mind-blowing statistic that continues to showcase just how special the young infielder has been.
Then, in the fifth inning with two outs and two runners aboard, McGonigle stayed patient and drew a walk to load the bases, giving Detroit another golden scoring opportunity.
Mize wasn't at his best Sunday, but he battled through 3.1 innings before exiting with another injury concern.
Things unraveled a bit in the second inning after Colt Keith 's throw sailed past Spencer Torkelson at first base, allowing the inning to continue and a run to score.
The third inning didn't get much easier as Mize allowed two more runners to reach with one out. However, he buckled down and struck out the final two batters of the inning to escape further damage.
The biggest concern came in the fourth inning when a sharp one-hop ground ball rocketed directly back at Mize. The ball appeared to strike his midsection before catching his pitching wrist as he reacted. Mize completed the play for the out but immediately began shaking his wrist in discomfort.
Already having spent two separate stints on the injured list this season, Mize exited after 3.1 innings. He allowed five hits, one earned run and one walk while striking out five.
We'll continue to monitor Mize's health moving forward.
Keith made one of the defensive plays of the game in the second inning, making a spectacular diving stop at third base before quickly jumping to his feet to make the throw.
Unfortunately, the throw sailed past the outstretched glove of Spencer Torkelson at first base, allowing the tying run to score and evening the game at 1-1.
Thrust into action after Mize's injury, Anderson did a nice job escaping the fourth inning by retiring both hitters he faced.
The fifth inning was a different story.
Anderson walked Zach Neto and Mike Trout to begin the inning before Nolan Schanuel blooped a shallow single to load the bases with nobody out.
Jorge Soler then barely got enough of a pitch to chop a slow roller that allowed Neto to score before Soler was retired at first, giving the Angels a 2-1 lead.
Anderson recorded another out before walking his third batter of the inning to reload the bases. His afternoon ended there.
With the bases loaded and two outs in the fifth inning, Dingler had an opportunity to give Detroit the lead back but struck out swinging to end the threat.
Lee picked up a seventh-inning single as the Tigers searched for offense late in the game.
Rogers worked a two-out walk in the fifth inning to help set up Detroit's bases-loaded opportunity.
Outman recorded a swinging bunt single in the fifth inning for Detroit's first hit since Kevin McGonigle's leadoff home run.
After McGonigle's leadoff blast, 15 of Detroit's next 16 batters were retired. The lone exception was a Riley Greene walk before the fifth inning.
Detroit now heads to Chicago for a three-game series at historic Wrigley Field against the Cubs. Jack Flaherty , Framber Valdez and Keider Montero are the scheduled starters for Detroit.
