Detroit Tigers
· 2026-06-29
The Detroit Tigers suffered a tough loss to the Houston Astros 5-7 on June 28, 2026, and are now 14th in the American League with a 35-49 record.
The Tigers have been struggling with late-inning collapses, losing 14 games when leading in the seventh inning or later.
A.J. Hinch's decisions have been questioned, including removing one of the best hitters in the lineup for a player batting under .200.
The bullpen has been out of sync, with a high ERA and poor performance in high-leverage situations.
The Tigers' late-inning collapses have been damning, with no other team in Major League Baseball losing more than 11 games when leading after the seventh inning.
The league average sits at just 6.8, and the Tigers would be 49-34 if they had held onto every late lead.
The Tigers need to re-evaluate their strategy and make changes to their bullpen and lineup.
Will Vest has been used in high-leverage situations, but the Tigers have been outstanding in games where he enters in the ninth inning or later, posting a 41-6 record.
Kenley Jansen has finally begun looking like a competent closer again, despite struggling earlier in the season.
The Tigers have a talented lineup, but they need to find a way to close out games and hold onto leads.
And the pressure is on A.J. Hinch to make the right decisions and turn the season around.
But for now, the Tigers are stuck in a slump, and their fans are left to wonder what could have been.
So the question remains, can the Tigers turn their season around and make a push for the playoffs?
The answer will have to wait, as the Tigers take on their next opponent and try to snap their two-game losing streak.