Detroit Tigers Hit New Lows in 14-3 Loss to Yankees

The Detroit Tigers are back where they were on June 5, at the .500 mark after a 14-3 pounding by the New York Yankees in the Bronx Saturday night. The 14 runs the Tigers’ pitching staff surrendered were the most they’ve allowed this season and the loss puts them six and a half games behind the division leading Kansas City Royals, the farthest behind they’ve been in 2015.

Pitching Staff Continues Its Slide

Alfredo Simon (7-4) was finally pulled with two outs in the third inning. He was charged for seven runs on eight hits and touched for two home runs, the first, a solo shot by Didi Gregorius leading off the second inning, the second, another solo shot, that time by Carlos Beltran leading off the third.

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Ian Krol relieved Simon and continued the same pattern, giving up a home run to the first batter he face, a three-run shot to Alex Rodriguez.

Krol continued in the fourth inning by giving up two more runs, the first on another solo home run by Beltran.

Tom Gorzelanny relieved Krol in the fifth and immediately gave up two runs of his own to run the score to 10-0.

Bright, or at Least Less Dim Spots

Alex Wilson continued to be the most effective reliever in the Tigers’ pen. He and Al Alburquerque shut the Yankees down in the sixth and seventh innings.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi called off the dogs in the eighth with wholesale defensive and lineup changes while Ausmus put infielder Josh Wilson on the mound to pitch the bottom half of the inning. Wilson gave up a home run to Chris Young but otherwise saved Ausmus from having to dig deeper into his beat-up bullpen by retiring the rest of the side.

Anthony Gose made another of his “routine” diving catches that eventually kept the third inning from being worse than it was. He sprinted into the left field gap to rob Gregorius of extra bases and record the first out of the inning.

J. D. Martinez continued to show that he’s got his stroke figured out. He tattooed the ball on three straight plate appearances. He lined out to left fielder Young in the second, skied out to Brett Gardner in center in the third, then roped a ground-rule double into the right field stands to score Rajai Davis in the seventh.

If J. D. continues to take the ball to all fields like he’s doing there’s no end to the hot streak he can put together, and his pull-hitting power will also eventually return.

On-deck

The Tigers will try to avoid the sweep, and their fifth consecutive loss at Yankee Stadium Sunday afternoon with Anibal Sanchez (5-7) taking the hill against Masahiro Tanaka (4-2).