NEW YORK – What’s wrong with the Detroit Tigers?
The Tigers (19-24) had one glaring problem in a 3-2 loss in the 10th inning against the New York Mets in Citi Field on Wednesday, May 13.
The Tigers couldn’t come up with the big hit at the big moment. They got just one hit in nine chances with runners in scoring position on Wednesday.
That brings them, in the first two games of this series, to 1-for-18 with runners in scoring position. That’s the fast way to lose a couple of games.
But here’s the problem: It’s not just one game.
They are 1-4 on this two-city trip, with one game left (at 1:10 p.m. Thursday).
Zoom back more and they have now lost 12 of 17 games.
During this skid, they have had problems with their pitching as well as their defense.
But right now, it’s the offense.
“We’ve started to try to do a lot because you try to do something with your opportunities,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “But there’s no quit. There’s always the conversation about pressing and trying to do too much and swinging out of the zone or not swinging enough, right now, it feels like all the above.”
The Tigers got strong pitching from Framber Valdez, Kyle Finnegan and Kenley Jansen to get them through nine innings Wednesday.
They got some fine defense, cutting down runners at the plate, making the routine plays and even some of the hard ones, all without any errors.
But the hitting.
Ugh.
“The takeaway is always the competition, whether you won or lost,” Hinch said. “Obviously we’re having a hard time getting to the finish line feeling good. I mean, there’s been a game or two here or there, and then there’s been a couple of tough losses like this, so got to fight through it. Obviously need some resolve to get to the finish line feeling a little bit better.”
In the 10th inning, with the free runner on second, Jahmai Jones struck out swinging. Riley Greene popped out. And Wenceel Pérez flew out.
On the other side, rookie Carson Benge singled to center and fellow rookie A.J. Ewing scored for the Mets.
That was the difference.
“They came up with contact with their guy on second,” Hinch said. “We didn’t advance our guy in the 10th. When you get to the 10th, obviously, as the visiting team, there’s a ton of pressure to do something and we couldn’t do anything in that top of the 10th. Honestly, since the first inning, we had a bunch of guys left on base.”
The Tigers did manage eight hits.
But too many guys didn’t come through.
“Our guys are fighting,” Hinch said. “They’re trying. Their guys did more than our guys did. So yeah, I was happy with our guys battle all the way to the end.”
So, while Kevin McGonigle was on base three times (two walks) and Dillon Dingler had a pair of hits and Greene had three hits and knocked in two runs, the rest of the Tigers’ batting order didn’t do much.
“Guys chasing some things and trying to do a little more thanthey’re used to, trying to fill some gaps with some guys missing,” Zach McKinstry said. “We just got to continue to try to put a good brand of baseball out there and have good at bats and just kind of do the guys that are doing well, just allow them to do well. And the pieces behind them need to step up a little bit.”
The Tigers are now 7-18 on the road.
But they are 12-6 at Comerica Park.
McKinstry was asked about that strange yin and yang. He wasn’t making excuses, but he did point out the differences of being a visiting team.
“Homefield advantage is definitely a thing,” he said. “These clubs nowadays have great home sides. … You get all these different machines. On the away side, you have one cage. Guys are hitting at 2 o’clock for a 7 o’clock game, and it’s just hard. You don’t have the same routine on the road. You’re not in the same place. Guys get comfortable at home, and we have such a great facility at home. Guys are able to get their work in and on the road, you don’t get that same feeling.”
Contact Jeff Seidel: jseidel@freepress.com. Follow him on X @seideljeff.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Cause for Detroit Tigers’ dreadful road woes? They gotta start hitting
Reporting by Jeff Seidel, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
