The Los Angeles Dodgers just snapped their losing streak with a tight 2-1 victory over the Detroit Tigers, but holy smokes, talk about an absolute mess: they left a whopping 15 men on base throughout the game! You read that right, FIFTEEN. How they managed to win at Comerica Park against the Tigers (62-72) while stranding that many runners is beyond me, even for an 81-54 team like L.A.
Skubal’s Return Was a Vicious Strikeout Party, But L.A.’s Bats Went Missing
Former Tiger Tarik Skubal returned to Comerica Park, and even though he wasn’t involved in the decision, his outing was definitely a success. He gave up just one run on four hits, punching out seven Tigers without a single walk over six innings. Skubal got a mixed response and a weak ovation, then Gleyber Torres welcomed him back with a booming double to center field to kick things off. But Skubal quickly locked in, striking out Max Clark with a changeup, then Javier Baez with his fastball for his fifth K, and then Torres looked at a changeup for strike three. He even struck out the side in the fourth, hitting six strikeouts through three innings. You can’t fault the pitching in this one, can you? Skubal and the bullpen were taming some good young bats in the Detroit lineup all night.
Dodgers’ Offense Couldn’t Drive ‘Em In, Then Rojas Showed Up
The Dodgers’ lineup had traffic on the bases all night, but they couldn’t cash in for what felt like forever. By the fifth inning, they’d already left seven men on base! With the bases loaded in that same inning, chasing Tigers starter Anderson early, Muncy struck out against reliever Drew Sommers with a four-seamer, stranding three more. It was frustrating to watch, man. Even when Kiké Hernández singled after Tucker reached second on an error, Dino Ebel sent Tucker home aggressively, only for Ben Malgeri to throw him out at the plate from right field. Just brutal. The Tigers’ No. 1 prospect Max Clark even figured out Skubal in his second at-bat, lacing an RBI triple to put Detroit up 1-0 in the seventh after Eduardo Valencia broke up Skubal’s perfect streak with a leadoff double. But then Miguel Rojas stepped up and delivered a clutch pinch-hit single against Sommers, tying the game up. Finally!
Evan Phillips took over for Skubal, and talk about a dominant performance, man. He struck out the side on just 10 pitches! Phillips has been absolutely back on track in his last 4-5 relief appearances, which is exactly what you want to see. Even after Rojas tied it, the Dodgers loaded the bases again in the seventh against the Detroit bullpen, but somehow, still failed to capture the go-ahead run. It was a grind, but they somehow got the W.
Next up, the Dodgers are still in Detroit to face the Tigers. With the way they left so many guys on base and still found a way to win, you gotta wonder if they’ll finally break out offensively, or if these close, grinding wins are just how this team rolls right now.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by True Blue LA.
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