The Detroit Tigers just choked hard on Tuesday night, blowing a chance to snag a series win against the Washington Nationals and dropping the second game 3-1. Drew Anderson got tagged with the loss, despite tossing a quality start, because the offense barely made a peep all night at Comerica Park. Talk about frustrating! Now, for the rubber match, it’s left-hander Framber Valdez taking the mound for his final start of the entire 2026 campaign.
Valdez’s Last Stand: A Glimmer of Hope?
Valdez is the literal lone survivor from the Tigers’ pitching rotation that started the season. Think about that for a second! Yeah, his overall numbers on the year, sitting at 10-11 with a 4.06 ERA, fall significantly short of what you’d expect for his pay grade. He even had a short suspension back in May, which wasn’t exactly ideal. But hold up, here’s the kicker: this dude is finishing the season on a strong note! Over his last three games in September, Valdez has been dealing. He’s rocking a 1.50 ERA and a 3.71 FIP, allowing only one home run and 12 hits, walking seven while striking out 13 across 18 innings. He’s earned a pair of wins and just one loss in that stretch. That’s the kind of finish that makes you lean forward a bit, isn’t it? Tigers fans gotta be looking at that and thinking, “Is this the real Framber we’re going to see next year?”
Nats Counter with a “Swiss Army Arm”
On the other side of the ball, the Nats are bringing out their own southpaw, Richard Lovelady, for his sixth start of the season. This 31-year-old journeyman started the year with the New York Mets, working primarily as a back-end reliever. But since the Nats snagged him in a trade in mid-April, he’s become something of a “Swiss Army arm” for them. Lovelady hasn’t thrown more than two innings in any appearance this season, so he’s pretty clearly serving as an opener in this one. He’s coming into the game with a 3-4 record and a 3.86 ERA over 36 appearances this year. The Nats are looking for him to kick off a series-clinching win, and the Tigers need to jump on him early.
So, Wednesday afternoon, 1:10 p.m. ET at Comerica Park, it’s Game 159 for both of these teams. Both are sitting at 74-84, dead even in the standings. This isn’t about some huge playoff push, let’s be real. It’s about pride, about finishing the season strong, and for the Tigers, it’s a chance for Valdez to stamp a truly positive vibe on his year. Can he lead them to avoid another series loss and give the fan base something to actually look forward to heading into the offseason? Let’s see how it shakes out!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bless You Boys.
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