Detroit – Better game. More competitive effort. Same result.
The Cleveland Guardians beat the Tigers for the second straight night at Comerica Park, holding on for a 4-3 win Tuesday night.
It was the fourth straight loss for the Tigers and their 12th in the last 14 games. They’ve also lost seven of eight at home.
The Tigers, as has happened frequently the past two seasons, found themselves trying to scratch the tying run against the tough backend of the Guardians’ bullpen.
Lefty Erik Sabrowski pitched a scoreless seventh, getting called third strikes against Matt Vierling and Kevin McGonigle.
Things got interesting in the eighth. Lefty Tim Herrin started the inning by walking Jahmai Jones and with one out hitting Riley Greene.
At that point, Guardians manager Stephen Vogt brought in right hander Hunter Gaddis. Tigers’ skipper AJ Hinch countered by sending lefty-swinging Colt Keith up to pinch-hit for Spencer Torkelson.
Torkelson, who has been scuffling, hit a two-run home run off lefty starter Parker Messick in the second inning.
Keith hit a hard ground ball to first base, a 3-6 fielder’s choice. The Tigers still had runners at the corners but Gaddis ended the inning getting another lefty pinch-hitter, Zach McKinstry, to ground out to first.
That left the ninth to hard-throwing righty Cade Smith. Again the Tigers threatened. Vierling, who made a spectacular diving catch in center to end the top of the ninth, and McGonigle singled with one out.
Smith didn’t buckle. He struck out Jones and Dillon Dingler, leaving Greene on the on-deck circle.
When Torkelson stepped to the plate against lefty Parker Messick in the second inning with Greene at first base, he’d been in a 5-for-46 funk with 23 strikeouts. He hadn’t homered since May 3.
But he changed all that with one swing. He launched a first pitch four-seamer beyond the Tigers’ bullpen in left. His seventh home run gave the Tigers a short-lived 2-1 lead.
Tigers’ starter Keider Montero, after walking Kyle Manzardo to lead off the top of the fourth, left a changeup in and over the plate to lefty Travis Bazzana. That ball cleared the wall in right field, putting the Guardians back on top, 3-2.
The Tigers tied it with an unearned run in the bottom of the fourth. Greene led off with a single. He came into the game ranked first in the American League with a .428 on-base percentage and second with a .331 batting average. He had two hits, with a walk and hit-by-pitch Tuesday.
With two outs, Hao-Yu Lee singled and Greene stopped at second. The Guardians appeared to have Lee picked off first but catcher Austin Hedges’ throw went into right field.
Greene scored on the play, challenging and beating the arm of right fielder Angel Martinez.
It was a short night for Montero, though that had more to do with the construction of the Guardians’ lineup than how he was pitching. He allowed three runs on two hits, with four walks, in his five innings.
But with the Guardians stacking eight left-handed hitters, Hinch wasn’t likely to let him go through that gauntlet a third time.
Instead, Hinch leaned on lefty Tyler Holton. After a clean sixth inning, getting called third strikes on Manzardo and Bazzana, Tiger-killer Steven Kwan led off the top of the seventh with a double.
Right-fielder Wenceel Perez tracked the ball to the wall in right, got his glove on it but couldn’t secure the catch.
Kwan advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a ground out by Brayan Rocchio.
This story will be updated…
Chris.McCosky@detroitnews.comTigers/Guardians gamer
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Detroit Tigers lost again to the Cleveland Guardians at Comerica Park