HOUSTON – The Detroit Tigers mustered three hits.
If not for Kerry Carpenter hitting a home run in the seventh inning and Kevin McGonigle doing the same in the ninth inning, the Tigers would’ve been shut out in a 4-2 loss to the Houston Astros on Wednesday, June 17, in the finale of the three-game series at Daikin Park.
Right-hander Peter Lambert led the way for the Astros in an 88-pitch masterpiece, allowing one run on two hits, no walks and one hit-by-pitch with five strikeouts across seven innings.
The Tigers have a 30-44 record.
After a 6-22 record in May, the Tigers are 8-6 in June, with four losses in their past five games.
On the mound
Right-hander Casey Mize returned from the injured list following his second stint with a right adductor strain. The 29-year-old didn’t have his best performance, but he battled as long as he could.
He allowed three runs on six hits and one walk with three strikeouts across 4⅔ innings, throwing 86 pitches.
It was his first start since May 27.
There were positives, such as the fourth inning when Mize stranded the bases loaded (in part because of his own Gold Glove-caliber defensive play). And there were negatives, such as the third, fourth, and fifth innings when the Astros torched Mize’s slider for damage.
With two outs in the third, Jeremy Peña fell behind 0-2 in the count when he chased above the strike zone, then refused to chase down-and-away three times in a row for a 3-2 count.
That’s when Mize made his mistake, hanging a slider over the heart of the plate.
Peña didn’t miss.
The solo home run from Peña put the Astros ahead, 1-0.
The Astros extended their lead to 3-0 with two runs in the fifth inning, courtesy of Yordan Alvarez’s RBI double off Mize’s slider with one out and Isaac Paredes’ RBI double off right-handed reliever Kyle Finnegan’s fastball with two outs.
Both runs were charged to Mize’s tab.
He owns a 2.58 ERA in 10 starts.
After Mize, the Tigers surrendered one run in the sixth inning.
In the sixth, the Astros grabbed 4-0 lead on Peña’s RBI single off Finnegan’s middle-middle fastball with two strikes and one out – but not before Joey Loperfido’s double, Jake Meyers’ walk and Christian Vázquez’s walk.
It was only a matter of time before Finnegan was exposed for too many walks.
After all, Finnegan came into Wednesday’s game with 22 walks and 21 strikeouts over 33⅔ innings in his first 32 games, even though he had a 1.87 ERA.
His ERA jumped to 2.08 after allowing one run while adding two walks without any strikeouts in Wednesday’s game – giving him 24 walks and 21 strikeouts.
At the plate
The Tigers struggled on offense, recording their first baserunner in the second inning, their first hit in the fourth inning and their first run in the seventh inning.
In total, the Astros retired 27 of 31 batters.
In the second, Keith was hit by a pitch with two outs, then the Tigers stranded him when Matt Vierling struck out swinging. In the fourth, Dillon Dingler hit a leadoff single, only for the Tigers to strand him when Riley Greene struck out swinging, Spencer Torkelson flew out and Carpenter flew out.
Meyers robbed Torkelson of extra bases with a diving catch in center field.
Finally, the Tigers scored with two outs in the seventh.
Carpenter delivered a solo home run off Lambert’s middle-middle fastball, which was his second fastball in a row in that location. His 10th homer trimmed the Tigers’ deficit to 4-1.
McGonigle made it 4-2 with a solo home run against left-handed reliever Josh Hader in the ninth inning.
It was too little, too late.
Next up: Back to Comerica Park
After an off day Thursday, the Tigers return to action Friday (6:40 p.m., Detroit SportsNet) against the Chicago White Sox in the opener of a three-game series at Comerica Park.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the White Sox and Cleveland Guardians sit atop the American League Central standings.
The Tigers trail by 9½ games in the AL Central.
Not only that, but the Tigers also trail by 6½ games in the AL wild-card race.
The probable pitchers for the upcoming series against the White Sox: Left-hander Tarik Skubal on Friday, right-hander Troy Melton on Saturday and right-hander Justin Verlander on Sunday.
It will be Verlander’s first start for the Tigers at Comerica Park since Aug. 20, 2017.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers held to 3 hits in loss to Astros as Casey Mize returns
Reporting by Evan Petzold, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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By Evan Petzold, Detroit Free Press | USA TODAY Network
