Tigers Need Answers in Cleveland to Not Lose Ground in Race for October

Detroit has turned close games into its biggest problem and now faces a series in which Kenley Jansen and Dillon Dingler arrive at opposite moments to what the team needs.

Detroit Tigers relief pitcher Kenley Jansen (74). | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Guardians continued their four-game weekend series on Saturday at Progressive Field, after the Tigers suffered a rain-affected doubleheader and were defined by one-run walk-off (left on the field) losses after leading in both games on Friday.

Detroit had lost 14 of its last 17 regular-season games against the Guardians since last September. Detroit managed to win on Saturday, but it only slowed down a larger problem.

The Tigers have lost 16 of their last 21 games since August 14, the day after winning the decisive game of a three-game series against the Guardians in Detroit to take sole possession of an American League Wild Card spot and be 2.5 games from first place in their division.

Including this weekend, the Tigers have not won any of their last seven consecutive series since the series against the White Sox that began on August 14, the club’s longest streak without winning a series since its eight-series drought during the season (May 4 through May 31). Detroit had won four straight series and had a 6-1-1 record in its first eight series after the All-Star Game before this current streak of seven series.

Kenley Jansen’s Slips

Detroit Tigers pitcher Kenley Jansen (74). Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Kenley Jansen failed again. In Friday’s doubleheader, he wasted a save opportunity in the first game. He inherited three runners and all of them scored. The 38-year-old veteran of 17 seasons has also been vulnerable when he enters high-leverage situations. He has now allowed 50% of the 10 runners he has inherited to score. After the first setback, he then took the loss in the second game. His ERA has risen to 4.00 in his last 10 appearances. He has lost six games and wasted the same number of opportunities.

Without Jansen providing the effectiveness that has led him to be in the conversation about the best closers in history, close games will be an even more difficult challenge for the Tigers.

Dingler Still Not Producing Power

Detroit Tigers catcher Dillon Dingler (13). Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In the last game against the Minnesota Twins, Spencer Torkelson broke his negative streak of 109 plate appearances without getting a home run. Dillon Dingler is still in his slump: he has not gotten a home run since last August 6 against the Seattle Mariners. That brings us to a streak of 24 games in which the Tigers have gone 7-17.

Of course, all of Detroit’s problems have not happened because of Dingler’s power decline, but many of the losses in close games could have been resolved with just one of his swings. Dingler entered this Saturday with 98 plate appearances without a home run.

Different from the case of Torkelson, who was going through his third streak of this type in his career while producing the highest OPS, Dingler is hitting for a puzzling .121/.184/.154, with .338 OPS and more strikeouts (23) than hits (11). He has remained stuck at 26 home runs, but since then he has driven in only four runs.

The Tigers have played an enormous number of games (64) decided by two runs or fewer, with a 19-45 (.297) record in those games, the worst in all of baseball. The 45 losses of this type are the most in the Major Leagues, while the 19 wins tie the lowest number. With Jansen and Dingler failing, in addition to the overall offensive decline and the problems with the starting pitching, the Tigers will have to make a turnaround that seems difficult in order to stay in the race to reach the postseason.