Tigers bullpen blows another late lead

Jul 26, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Kansas City Royals second baseman Michael Massey (19) hits a two run home run in the eighth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Framber Valdez was mediocre at best once again on Sunday. Despite not swinging the bats well in this series, the Tigers did fight back and take a lead into the late innings, but once again their makeshift bullpen couldn’t lock it down. The Royals came back on a two-run homer by Michael Massey in the eighth, and held on to split this four game set with a 5-4 victory over the Tigers.

With the Tigers in their home whites, with this strange D logo on their caps, once again we got the shaky version of Framber Valdez to start this one off. Fortunately he bent in this one, but never came completely unglued. He gave up a solo shot to Lane Thomas to start the game on a 3-2 sinker that was up on the outer edge. The misses were non-competitive. Nick Loftin singled, and Valdez hit Salvador Perez. Jac Caglianone grounded into a force of Perez, and Valdez bounced back to punch ouf Starling Marte with a good curveball, but he was still struggling to find the handle.

Chris Fetter came out for a chat and AJ Hinch had Brenan Hanifee warming in the bullpen. Tyler Tolbert was next, and the Tigers got just what they needed least when the outfielder grounded one to Hao-Yu Lee at second and the rookie clanged it off the heel of his glove. Loftin scored, and this game was teetering on the brink of disaster already, but Luke Maile flew out to Kerry Carpenter in right to end the inning with the Royals up 2-0.

Luinder Avila was on the bump for the Royals, and the 24-year-old right-hander’s numbers were pretty miserable coming into this one. He clearly has the stuff to succeed with a high 90’s heater and good breaking stuff, but his control is a work in progress and his walk rate is a somewhat grisly 12.8 percent. Colt Keith popped out to lead things off, and Kevin McGonigle and Gleyber Torres flew out to left to end the first.

Valdez bounced back with three quick ground ball outs in the second, starting to get his pitch count a little back in order.

Riley Greene grounded out to start the bottom of the second. Dillon Dingler walked, but Carpenter flew out. Spencer Torkelson worked a lengthy AB and drew a walk as well, but James Outman struck out on a 98 mph sinker up to send us to the third.

Sal Perez grounded a first pitch curveball down the third base line to open the third inning. Colt Keith made a nice diving stop, popped up, and fired a strike to Torkelson for the first out. A nice play, aided by the fact that Perez runs like he’s wading through a pool of molasses. Caglianone worked a full count, but he bit on a sweeping curveball down and away to strike out. Valdez was feeling the curveball now, and Marte chopped a bender to McGonigle for the third out. Valdez was at 50 pitches, but at least had righted the ship after the wildness and Lee’s error in the first.

Lee and Keith grounded out to start the bottom of the third, while McGonigle flicked a single into left field. At this point, Dan Dickerson and Andy Dirks were interviewing Mark “the Bird” Fidrych’s widow. Fidrych’s grandson also threw out the first pitch in tribute to the right-hander’s amazing rookie season 50 years ago. Meanwhile, Avila’s early velocity was starting to creep down to 95-96 mph, but it didn’t help Torres, who flew out to end the inning.

Isaac Collins was up first in the fourth, and Valdez got him out in front with a changeup and popped him up. Tolbert battled through a lengthy at-bat and Valdez missed with a 3-2 curveball and walked him. Another long at-bat against Luke Maile ended with a sinker that was pulled down the left field line. Tolbert was off and running of course, and cruised all the way around from first to score as Maile cruised into second base. Valdez just could not spot anything with enough consistency to set anyone up, and he was behind in counts again and again. Very frustrating outing to watch. Andrew Velasquez struck out, but Valdez’s pitch count was approaching 80 pitches as he walked Thomas on six pitches.

While I attempted not to break any household items in frustration, Fetter came out once again to try and give Valdez a moment to pull it together. It was just one long at-bat after another with Valdez looking lost and wasting a lot of non-competitive pitches. His 82nd pitch was a good curveball down and in and Loften struck out to end the inning without further damage, but Valdez wasn’t likely to make it through the fifth inning at this point, and the Tigers were down 3-0 and once again struggling with a mediocre starter with good stuff and mediocre command.

Avila started spotting his stuff more as he worked into his outing. Riley Greene grounded out to start the bottom of the fourth. Dillon Dingler lined a single the opposite way for the Tigers second hit of the game, but Carpenter was out in front of a curveball and wanded a solid fly ball to Thomas in center for the second out. Spencer Torkelson drew a four pitch walk, and that brought Outman to the dish. He rolled over a slider to first base and we were on to the fifth inning with the score still 3-0 Royals.

Ben Malgeri made a nice catch on a liner from Perez to open the fifth. That was a surprise, as it meant that Carpenter was out of the game. He’s been dealing with a foot issue that was apparently flaring up. Caglianone grounded out to Torkelson for the second out. Marte pulled a ground ball single through the left side, and Ty Madden was warming in the pen. Fittingly, yet another seven pitch at-bat, this time from Collins, led to a ground out to Keith to mercifully end the left-hander’s day.

Hao-Yu Lee got a curveball and smoked it to center field for a leadoff double and finally the Tigers had a little something started. The lineup turned over and Avila walked Colt Keith. The Royals s...

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