The Detroit Tigers have only two three-game losing streaks this season. They’ll try to avoid a third one when they host Pittsburgh on Tuesday in the opener of a three-game series.
Detroit got a much-needed day off Monday after losing the last two games of a three-game series against Cincinnati by a combined score of 19-5. The Tigers’ 8-4 loss on Sunday was arguably their sloppiest of the season, as they committed three errors and botched a potential double play in the eighth, setting the stage for the Reds’ four-run inning.
“We obviously are better at executing those plays,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “That’s not been our identity. It’s never easy losing a winnable series but that’s what happened. We get a day off (Monday) to reset ourselves.”
Casey Mize (6-2, 2.95 ERA) will look to play the role of stopper in his 12th start of the season. Mize was charged with his second loss in his most recent start on Wednesday, even though he allowed just two runs in 5 1/3 innings at Baltimore. The Orioles scored eight more runs after the right-hander departed.
“I thought that was some of the best stuff he’s brought into a game, with his velo and the splitter was effective,” Hinch said. “It was just a lot of pitches early and some deep counts. They made him work but I thought he battled really well.”
Mize has given up two or fewer runs in eight of his starts. He missed a couple of weeks last month due to a minor hamstring strain.
“I think it’s the best my stuff has been since coming off the IL,” Mize said after his last outing. “But just too many mistakes that led to a lot of traffic. … I made some mistakes over the heart of the plate that they were able to get some base hits on.”
Mize has only pitched once against the Pirates in his career, allowing two runs in five innings.
Left-hander Bailey Falter (5-3, 3.36 ERA) will start the series opener for the Pirates. Falter hasn’t been charged with a loss in his past eight outings, half of which he didn’t allow a run.
Falter, who never has faced the Tigers, gave up one run and five hits in 5 1/3 innings in his most recent outing against Miami on Wednesday, a 5-2 Pittsburgh win. Falter pitches to contact — he’s struck out just 46 batters in 75 innings — but opponents haven’t been able to square him up. He hasn’t given multiple home runs in any of his last 12 starts.
The Pirates lost three games of a four-game set against division rival Chicago. The Cubs held them to seven runs as Pittsburgh wasted several strong pitching performances.
“It was a well-fought series,” manager Don Kelly said. “It (stinks) when you go 1-3 in those series because we know we had a chance to win some of those games. There were a lot of good things, some things we need to continue to work on offensively and continue to get better at.”
Kelly is quite familiar with Detroit and Comerica Park. A retired utility player, he spent the bulk of his career there from 2009-14.
–Field Level Media
