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Will Vest, Tigers bullpen lose their grip on high-leverage spots
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- Will Vest, Tigers bullpen lose their grip on high-leverage spots
One of the Detroit Tigers ' most reliable relief pitchers over the past few years had another trying outing, continuing the trend from the tough first half of his 2026 campaign.
Sitting 12 games below .500 entering Saturday, June 27, the Tigers could not stay out of their own way down the stretch in an 8-6 loss to the Houston Astros . The Tigers carried a 6-4 lead into the final three innings thanks to a Kerry Carpenter grand slam and Hao-Yu Lee's solo shot, but the bullpen wilted late.
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Two-out at-bats proved costly for Tigers relievers in the seventh and eighth innings. Drew Anderson surrendered one run in the seventh after three straight runners reached with two outs. Will Vest gave up a leadoff single, then struck out two batters in the eighth before Houston responded with three straight two-out hits for a decisive three runs.
"We didn't finish innings," Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. "They scored six runs with two outs."
The Tigers put themselves in position to at least earn a series split with an AL wild-card contender, but they couldn't shut the door. Anderson walked Isaac Paredes with two outs, followed by singles from Jose Altuve and Christian Walker . Lefty Drew Sommers replaced Anderson and got a fly ball to escape the jam.
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Vest then gave up a single to Yainer Diaz to lead off the eighth. He struck out Jake Meyers looking and Brice Matthews swinging on a fastball and slider to bring up Christian Vazquez . Houston's No. 9 hitter sent a fastball the opposite way for a single, and Jeremy Pena shortened his swing and poked a ball into center for a game-tying single.
Vest got ahead of Paredes, the former Tigers prospect, in the next at-bat, but left an 0-2 fastball over the middle of the plate. Paredes slapped it into right for a two-run double.
"He's got a hole down and away where he'll chase with two strikes, and I think it just leaked back over the plate," catcher Jake Rogers said. "He did a really good job of staying through it and shot one into right field."
Houston Astros right fielder Cam Smith (11) receives congratulations from first baseman Christian Walker (8) after he hits a two-run home run in the second inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park in Detroit on Saturday, June 27, 2026.
The Tigers (35-48) have lost four of five games. In the first three losses, the offense was quiet at the plate. On Saturday, the bullpen overshadowed a solid offensive performance.
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The Tigers had 11 hits, including two home runs. But Detroit went 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position and stranded nine runners despite some success with the long ball.
But, the late mound work negated the bats. Vest picked up his fifth loss of the season – tying the career high he set last season – after coming up short in another high-leverage spot. The 31-year-old, sporting a 6.08 ERA over 26⅔ innings, is suffering through his worst season since joining the Tigers in 2022.
Vest came into Saturday riding a streak of three straight scoreless outings, dating back to his last run allowed – to the Astros , in a 4-2 loss on June 16.
"It's hard when you are pitching at the highest leverage you can," Hinch said. "And you get noticed. I know that he has had a tough go of it to execute. He's also had some electrifying games when he came in and finished games."
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Vest did not give up any scorching hits, but Houston's hitters found the right spots to string together runners – and runs.
Those mistakes and margins are magnified as the Tigers try to salvage their season with just over a month until the 2026 trade deadline, slated for Aug. 3.
Detroit did a lot of work to overcome an early deficit. Left-hander Framber Valdez settled in to throw six innings despite giving up four runs on eight hits. And he got run support from Carpenter's grand slam – his second homer in as many days – a Spencer Torkelson RBI double and Lee's third career home run.
But the Astros picked up 15 hits off Tigers pitching, including seven leading to four runs in the crucial late innings.
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"Every pitch matters, especially in the highest leverage," Hinch said. "When you make a mistake at this level, you don't get away with it."
Contact Jared Ramsey at jramsey@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Will Vest, Tigers bullpen lose their grip on high-leverage spots
