The Detroit Tigers head to Baltimore tonight searching for answers.
Detroit enters Friday night’s matchup against the Orioles at 20-31 after a brutal 1-6 homestand that included a four-game sweep at the hands of the Cleveland Guardians. The Tigers have now lost six straight games, nine of their last 10, and 14 of their last 16.
The recent collapse has dropped Detroit 11 games below .500 for the first time since 2023.
“It’s pretty shitty right now,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch admitted following Thursday’s loss to Cleveland.
Despite the losing streak, players inside the clubhouse continue to insist the group remains together.
“We’re just frustrated. We’re trying. We’re doing everything we can,” outfielder Matt Vierling told The Detroit News. “We expected to be better than this, and we’re just overall frustrated. All we can do is show up tomorrow and try to win a ballgame.”
Casey Mize echoed a similar sentiment.
“We all got to stick together,” Mize said. “And we are, in my opinion.”
Detroit now opens a weekend series against a struggling Baltimore Orioles club that has lost five of its last six games. Even with the Orioles struggling offensively at times, the Tigers enter the series carrying major concerns on both sides of the ball.
The matchup tonight features two pitchers looking to rebound from rough stretches.
Jack Flaherty takes the mound for Detroit still searching for his first win of the season. The right-hander enters Friday night at 0-5 with a 5.77 ERA. Over his last five starts, Flaherty has posted an 8.41 ERA across 20 1/3 innings.
His last outing against Cleveland showed some improvement after he worked six innings, though Detroit still ended up with another loss.
Opposing him is veteran right-hander Chris Bassitt for Baltimore. Bassitt enters at 3-3 with a 5.44 ERA. While the numbers remain uneven overall, Bassitt has shown flashes of stability throughout the season.
The Tigers offense continues to search for consistency during the skid. Detroit has struggled to capitalize on opportunities on the bases and with runners in scoring position.
“When we’re pushing the envelope on the bases, that’s when good things happen for us,” Orioles interim manager Tony Mansolino said while discussing aggressive play styles around the league.
Detroit badly needs those good things to start happening again.
Riley Greene remains one of the few bright spots in the lineup despite the recent stretch. Spencer Torkelson has also continued to provide power flashes, though the Tigers lineup overall has struggled to produce timely offense during close games.
Friday’s game also marks another difficult checkpoint in what has quickly turned into a concerning stretch for the franchise. The Tigers are now approaching one-third of the season completed and sit far behind where many expected them to be entering 2026.
First pitch from Oriole Park at Camden Yards is scheduled for 7:15 PM ET.
The game airs exclusively on Apple TV with radio coverage available on 97.1 FM.
