Detroit Tigers score: Jack Flaherty gave up six runs (five earned) to a depleted Minnesota Twins roster in a 9-4 loss on Wednesday.
On July 8, the Detroit Tigers controlled a 14-game lead in the American League Central. Just 29 days later, the Tigers' advantage in the AL Central is down to six games.
That has happened in a 23-game stretch, 46 games remaining in the 2025 season.
The latest cause for concern: The Tigers lost, 9-4, to the new-look Minnesota Twins on Wednesday, Aug. 6, in the finale of a three-game series at Comerica Park, dropping two of three games. At the July 31 trade deadline, the Twins parted ways with more than a third of their roster in a fire sale, including star players Jhoan Durán, Griffin Jax and Carlos Correa.
The Tigers (66-50) lost back-to-back games against the Twins' replacement players.
With the loss, the Tigers are 6-4 in their past 10 games, 7-16 in their past 23 and 33-33 in their past 66, dating back to May 22.
Right-hander Jack Flaherty put the Tigers in a hole from the beginning of Wednesday's series finale, allowing two runs in the first inning. The 29-year-old gave up six runs (five earned runs) on eight hits and one walk with three strikeouts across 4⅔ innings.
Flaherty has a 4.56 ERA in 23 starts.
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Not only did Flaherty finish with just four whiffs, but he didn't generate his first swing-and-miss until the 53rd pitch of his 82-pitch performance. He had four whiffs on 35 swings for a season-worst 11.4% whiff rate.
The Twins tagged Flaherty for numerous extra-base hits.
All six runs: Luke Keaschall hit a two-run double in the first inning for a 2-0 lead; Brooks Lee hit a solo home run in the fourth for a 4-4 tie; Ryan Jeffers hit an RBI double and Keaschall hit an RBI double in the fifth for a 6-4 lead. The other run scored on Flaherty's wild pitch for a 3-0 lead in the second inning.
It was a bad start for Flaherty after two good starts in a row.
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Three big swings
Three home runs gave the Tigers hope.
Spencer Torkelson hit a solo home run in the second inning, Zach McKinstry hit a solo home run in the third inning and Kerry Carpenter hit a two-run home run in the third inning. Those homers put the Tigers ahead, 4-3.
All three homers came off right-hander Pierson Ohl.
It was Torkelson's 24th homer in 110 games, McKinstry's 10th homer in 103 games, and Carpenter's 20th homer in 87 games. For McKinstry, he reached double-digit homers for the first time in his six-year MLB career.
Meanwhile, Carpenter continues to torch the Twins.
In his career, Carpenter is hitting .400 with seven home runs and a 1.200 OPS in 29 games against the Twins, spanning 110 plate appearances
Riley Greene finished 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.
Bullpen struggles again
The Tigers entered Wednesday's game with a 5.00 ERA from their bullpen since June 1.
The problem keeps getting worse.
Left-handed reliever Tyler Holton surrendered solo home runs to Austin Martin and Alan Roden in the sixth inning, with the Twins taking an 8-4 lead. Right-handed reliever Tommy Kahnle walked the bases loaded in the seventh before the Twins pushed their lead to 9-4 on an ensuing groundout.
In 2025, Holton owns a 3.97 ERA with 13 home runs allowed across 56⅔ innings in 49 games. In 2023-24, Holton registered a 2.15 ERA with 16 homers allowed over 179⅔ innings in 125 games.
His cutter hasn't been as effective in 2025.
Contact Evan Petzold at [email protected] or follow him @EvanPetzold on X.com
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers socked by Minnesota Twins again, 9-4
Category: Baseball
