Detroit Tigers score: Jack Flaherty took a big step in the right direction, leading the Tigers to a 10-0 win over the Houston Astros.
Jack Flaherty dominated.
It was his best start of the 2025 season.
The Detroit Tigers need Flaherty to begin pitching like a No. 2 starter before it's too late to rely on him in the biggest games, but as the postseason approaches, Flaherty has experienced more bad than good with his performance.
Flaherty took a big step in the right direction, leading the Tigers to a 10-0 win over the Houston Astros on Monday, Aug. 18, at Comerica Park. The offense supported Flaherty by scoring all 10 runs in a four-inning stretch, powered by four home runs.
The 29-year-old fired seven scoreless innings — his first time completing seven innings in his two-year career with the Tigers, spanning 43 starts. Facing the Astros, he allowed just three hits and one walk with nine strikeouts.
Flaherty threw 60 of 90 pitches for strikes.
The Tigers (74-53) won the first of three games against the Astros the series.
Flaherty dealt with the most stress in the first inning, as the Astros loaded the bases on Carlos Correa's double, Jose Altuve's single and Christian Walker's walk. With two outs, Victor Caratini lined out to end the inning.
That's how Flaherty stranded the bases loaded.
Flaherty cruised through the final six innings of his start.
The Astros put two runners on base the rest of the way against Flaherty: Jacob Melton's hit-by-pitch in the second inning and Walker's single in the fourth inning.
Flaherty retired the final 11 batters.
He generated 11 whiffs on 36 swings for a 30.6% whiff rate: two fastballs, six curveballs and three sliders. For the second start in a row, he didn't throw any sinkers or changeup, which he already used sparingly but now isn't using at all.
Flaherty owns a 4.51 ERA in 25 starts.
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Offense explodes
The Tigers didn't score until the fifth inning.
Once that happened, the flood gates opened for the Tigers' offense to put up double-digit runs, thanks to home runs from Wenceel Pérez, Riley Greene, Trey Sweeney and Colt Keith.
The Tigers took a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning when Pérez hit a middle-middle cutter from right-hander Spencer Arrighetti. To get that pitch to hit for damage, Pérez battled for 10 pitches — swinging at all seven pitches in the zone and refusing to swing at all three pitches out of the zone.
An incredible plate appearance led to an incredible result.
The Tigers' offense kept its foot on the gas, scoring four runs in the fifth inning, one run in the sixth inning and four runs in the seventh inning.
In the fifth, Kerry Carpenter drove in two runs on a triple, followed by Riley Greene's two-run home run — taking a 5-0 lead. In the sixth, Keith provided a sacrifice fly after Sweeney's triple for a 6-0 lead. In the seventh, Sweeney hit a three-run home run and Keith hit a solo home run — taking a 10-0 lead.
Greene has 29 home runs in 123 games.
Alex Lange appears
Right-handed reliever Alex Lange pitched in the ninth inning, protecting a 10-run lead. Before Monday's game, the Tigers activated Lange from the injured list.
It was his first game for the Tigers since May 22, 2024.
He completed a scoreless inning.
Contact Evan Petzold at [email protected] or follow him @EvanPetzold.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers score: Jack Flaherty dominates, offense pops in 10-0 win
Category: Baseball
