Tigers Achieve a Feat for the First Time Since 2020 vs. Tampa Bay
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It's been tough sledding for the Detroit Tigers' offense so far in 2026, but there have still been all-too-brief reminders of exactly what the club's bats are capable of.
Take Monday night, for example. Opening up a series against the American League-leading Tampa Bay Rays, the Tigers delivered an offensive masterclass against reliever-turned-starter Griffin Jax and the Rays. They recorded 10 runs on 14 hits for what was just their third double-digit run-scoring game this season after having 12 such games in 2025.
As part of Monday's offensive outburst to snap a four-game losing skid (which, incidentally, produced just six total runs), Detroit delivered its first set of back-to-back-to-back home runs since 2020 in the game's third inning.
Tigers Go Back-to-Back-to-Back
Already leading 2-0, the Tigers came into the inning with the dangerous top-of-the-order up to bat. Following a Kevin McGonigle walk, Dillon Dingler took an 0-2 sweeper deep to center field for a two-run home run. Two pitches later, Kerry Carpenter crushed a homer to right-center field. From there, Riley Greene completed the trifecta of long balls to put Detroit up by a score of 6-0.
The game marked the first time that Detroit had connected on three consecutive home runs since August 8, 2020, when Miguel Cabrera, C.J. Cron and Jeimer Candelario went deep in three straight first inning at-bats off of Derek Holland in an 11-5 romp over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Dingler, Carpenter and Greene, who comprise the heart of the Tigers' lineup, were at their best on Monday. Dingler led the way with two home runs and a double as part of a 4-for-5 night, recording four RBI and four runs scored. Carpenter, meanwhile, went 3-for-5 while Greene was 3-for-4 with a walk. The three men were involved in nine of the club's 10 runs in the game.
Even with all that offense, it wasn't easy for Detroit, as has typically been the case this season. The Rays scored seven of the game's last nine runs to make for a tight, down-to-the-wire contest. In fact, Tampa Bay had the go-ahead run on second base in the eighth inning before Will Vest ended the threat as part of a five-out save.
Ultimately, though, the Tigers got a much-needed victory thanks to their foundational trio, who have managed to play at an elite level in spite of their team's struggles. Dingler leads the team with 13 home runs on the season, Carpenter has now collected four hits in two games since returning from the injured list and Greene leads the club with an .849 OPS.
There hasn't been much to celebrate of late for Detroit, who sit dead-last in the AL Central with a 23-38 record. But perhaps some offensive fireworks from the core of the lineup could get things rolling for Motown.
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Ben Fisher is a long-time sportswriter and baseball lover, dating back to 2008, when he was a member of the media relations team for the Toronto Blue Jays. He has covered a wide range of sports for a seemingly endless array of publications, including The Canadian Press, Fansided and The Hockey Writers. When he isn't writing about sports, he can be found coaching his equally baseball-obsessed sons' Little League teams.