After jumping out to a 2-0 start in the early innings, the Detroit Tigers would go on to lose the game in the bottom of the ninth inning.
The Detroit Tigers were able to jump out to an early lead tonight against the Seattle Mariners off of a couple of solo shots but were unable to hold onto the lead. They would go on to wind up losing off of a walk-off hit by Mallex Smith in the bottom of the ninth. Despite the loss, the Tigers can take some positives away from this game.
Daniel Norris had a spectacular start, going for 6.1 innings and getting eight strikeouts. Norris didn’t allow a single run through his first five innings and only gave up five hits in total. This is a good sign for the 26-year-old starter. His contract does end at the end of the 2019 seasons, however, so it will be up to management to see if they want to bring him back.
Brandon Dixon was another bright spot tonight. He was responsible for one of the Tigers’ two runs, hitting a solo shot in the second inning. The 27-year-old first baseman has been showing some signs of power lately, which is something Detroit is in desperate need of. Dixon is on his rookie contract until 2022, so unless he is traded, he should be around for a while.
Unfortunately, the Tigers have continued to struggle driving in runs with runners on base. Detroit left six runners on base tonight and went an abysmal 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position. This has been something that Detroit has struggled with all year, and is largely responsible for their awful record on the season.
The Detroit Tigers continue their four-game series against the Mariners later today at 4:10 EST. The pitching matchup is set to be Tyler Alexander against Marco Gonzales. This will be Alexander’s third start after being called up from Toledo. He is currently 0-0 with a 2.25 ERA. He will look to try to steal a game off of Seattle at their home park.