An Inside Peek at How Tigers Elite Pitching Powered 6–0 Homestand Sweep
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The Detroit Tigers are riding their longest winning streak of the season straight into Boston this weekend, and it can be credited to the pitching staff.
The Tigers held the Marlins to just three runs over their three-game sweep last weekend, then the Royals to two runs through the first two games before winning a back-and-forth high-scoring game three.
Detroit allowed just one run per game over the first five games of the homestand, and it happened at the perfect time. To kick it all off, Keider Montero allowed just two hits and one walk over six shutout innings last Friday night. The bullpen followed it up with three no-hit innings, something that became common over the weekend.
The next two starts were nearly as dominant. Casey Mize allowed just one run over 5.2 innings on Saturday, and Drew Anderson gave the Tigers bullpen 3.1 more innings of scoreless baseball. Tarik Skubal did his thing on Sunday, and Detroit's bullpen finally faltered and allowed its first run of the weekend, but the Tigers pulled off the win anyway.
None of that mattered since the Tigers scored seven runs off Sandy Alcantara in the series finale.
Framber Valdez, Tarik Skubal Lead Detroit's Elite Pitching Staff
The first two games of the Royals series ended in 2-1 fashion. Framber Valdez and Jack Flaherty allowed two runs on five hits over 13 combined innings, and once again, Detroit's bullpen pitched scoreless frames.
"Jack was incredible, he was locked in early," A.J. Hinch said in his postgame press conference.
The Royals' nine-run series finale ruins the fun of this saga, but it didn't ruin the Tigers' win streak. A three-run ninth inning capped by Colt Keith's walk-off single gave Detroit the win. The past week has shown how good the Tigers' pitching staff can be at its peak. Detroit has allowed two or fewer runs in nine games this season, and is 8-1 in those games.
The Tigers have the third-best team ERA in the American League at 3.66, and have allowed the second-fewest homers in the majors this season. The duo of aces, Skubal and Valdez, has pitched well this season, but Detroit has gotten help from the entire rotation. Montero has a 3.31 ERA over his first three starts, while Flaherty and Mize have allowed one run in two of their three starts each this season.
This weekend won't get any easier for the pitching staff. The Tigers visit the Red Sox this weekend and have the fifth-highest batting average in the American League. Last season, the Red Sox had the second-highest batting average in the American League last season.
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Jeffrey is a sports writer located in Louisville, Kentucky, with a passion for sports, writing, and storytelling. He has hundreds of published articles across various platforms, including Kentucky Today, The Baptist Courier, FanSided, and more. Jeffrey is a senior at Indiana University Southeast pursuing a B.S. in Journalism/Media with a Minor in Writing. He has a beautiful wife, dog, and firstborn child on the way.