Tigers’ subtle bullpen shakeup emphasized incredibly bad luck in loss vs Guardians

On Friday, the Detroit Tigers welcomed Matt Vierling back from a shoulder injury after he had been on the shelf since March. Fans were thoroughly excited. And the team didn't need to make a tough roster sacrifice to create room. Reliever Sean Guenther, who had a 5.23 ERA and 1.45 WHIP, was optioned to Triple-A.

And would you look at that! Vierling, in his second at-bat of the season, ripped a two-run single in the first inning of Saturday's game against the Guardians to put the Tigers up 3-0. Detroit was looking to avenge back-to-back losses to their division rival.

But then it all slowly unraveled. The Guardians chipped away and tied the game in the eighth as Tommy Kahnle stumbled. And when extra innings arrived, AJ Hinch's decision to call on Brenan Hanifee sealed the Tigers' fate, leading to a costly third straight loss against the second-place team in the AL Central.

Because Brant Hurter was used to relieve Casey Mize and Tyler Holton threw 19 pitches the night prior, Hinch didn't have another lefty to combat the Guardians' lefty heavy lineup in crunch time. The options had dwindled and Hanifee took the ball.

The result was four runs (three earned) on three hits and a walk in the eventual 7-5 loss. The division lead has been cut to three games.

Tigers’ subtle bullpen shakeup emphasized incredibly bad luck in loss vs Guardians

And for those out there who thought Guenther, as a lefty, would've been any better; lefties are crushing him in 2025 to the tune of a .368 average and .902 OPS. It just so happens Hanifee is the next worst reliever against lefties, coming into Saturday's game with a .444 batting average and 1.241 OPS against.

If you look at everybody else in the bullpen, they absolutely destroy lefties. And the Tigers got rid of the only other liability in that department when they optioned Guenther, only to get burned with such low probability at an inopportune time. (The only counter-argument would've been to find a position player to option with that side of the ball getting healthier and a greater need for pitching during a stretch of 13 games in 13 days.) But perhaps this gets the Tigers better prepared for the trade deadline.

The Guardians, Twins and Royals have incredibly balanced lineups and can overwhelm their opponent from the left side of the plate. Those are the teams the Tigers will be enduring the most battles with this season. All that means is they need to invest in another reliever (preferably a left-hander) who can effectively handle that aspect of the game just like Kahnle, Hurter, Holton, Will Vest, Beau Brieske and Chase Lee do.

Stumbling upon a little bad luck every once in a while isn't the worst thing if it helps you identify a future solution.