Tigers Let One Slip After Comeback, Fall 5-4 to Rangers at Comerica Park

The Detroit Tigers let a winnable game slip away on Friday night, and the frustration was evident.

After erasing a 4-0 deficit to tie the game, Detroit went silent in the late innings and fell to the Texas Rangers 5-4 at Comerica Park. It felt like a game there for the taking, especially with momentum on their side at the start of a homestand.

Tigers fight back, then fade

Detroit showed resilience after falling behind early, putting together smart at-bats and grinding their way back against MacKenzie Gore. The Tigers weren’t relying on power, but they were effective—stringing together baserunners and driving in runs to level the score at 4-4.

Once they got there, however, the offense stalled.

The Tigers did make some loud contact late, including several hard-hit fly balls in the eighth inning, but none found grass. At Comerica Park, especially to center field, those balls tend to die in gloves. The result was another night where Detroit did just enough to stay competitive but couldn’t close the deal.

Jack Flaherty digs an early hole

The biggest issue was starter Jack Flaherty, who struggled from the outset. He fell behind in counts, issued walks, and when he did throw strikes, Texas made him pay.

The Tigers are dealing with rotation injuries, and that context matters. But Flaherty’s current form is making every fifth day feel like an uphill battle. Detroit trailed 4-0 because their starter couldn’t deliver clean innings, forcing the offense to spend the rest of the night playing catch-up.

For a team searching for consistency, that’s becoming a major concern.

Bullpen does its job

This wasn’t a night to blame the relievers.

Detroit’s bullpen kept the Tigers in the game. Brant Hurter, Beau Brieske, Will Vest, Tyler Holton, Brenan Hanifee, and others have all taken criticism at times this season, but the group that followed Flaherty largely did its job on Friday.

The problem was that Detroit had already been forced into scramble mode. When the starter exits early and the offense has to claw all the way back, the margin for error becomes razor-thin.

Wenceel Pérez provides a spark

Wenceel Pérez was a bright spot for Detroit, driving in two runs and adding a stolen base. He gave the Tigers exactly the kind of energy they needed during their comeback push.

His night wasn’t enough to carry Detroit across the finish line, but he provided a much-needed spark on an evening when the Tigers had a chance to grab momentum and open the homestand with a win.

Tigers need to start stacking wins

Now 16-17, the Tigers still have plenty of baseball left, but the back-and-forth nature of their start is wearing thin.

Detroit has shown flashes. The problem is that every step forward seems to be followed by a step back. A comeback win on Friday would have been a strong way to reset the tone at Comerica Park. Instead, the Tigers are left reflecting on another missed opportunity.

At some point, Detroit has to stop leaning on the “long season” excuse and start winning the games they’re supposed to win. Friday night was one of those games.