How is Detroit Tigers rare pitching strategy working?
Mark and Evan discuss the atypical pitching approach Tigers have been utilizing out of necessity. Full Days of Roar podcast (Sept. 3) out now.
Detroit Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal, the frontrunner to win the American League Cy Young Award, didn’t add another win to his candidacy as the best pitcher in baseball.
Even worse, the Tigers failed to add another win to their AL wild-card race in a heartbreaking loss to the Oakland Athletics.
The Tigers lost, 7-6, to the Athletics on Friday in the first of three games in the series at Oakland Coliseum. Skubal surrendered two runs and couldn’t complete the sixth inning, but the Tigers forced extra innings — only to lose in the 13th on a walk-off single by Seth Brown.
“That was a winnable game,” manager A.J. Hinch told reporters in Oakland. “We kind of did it to ourselves in a couple of situations. Games get a little bit crazy here, and with extra innings and all the extra runners and things like that. It’s a tough loss.”
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For the first time since Aug. 2, the Tigers (71-71) lost a game in which Skubal started to snap a streak of five wins in Skubal outings. The loss sends the Tigers to 5½ out of the third and final American League wild-card spot, with 20 games remaining.
This one took four rounds of extra innings.
In the 10th inning, the Tigers and Athletics traded runs, with Colt Keith’s RBI single off right-handed reliever Mason Miller with two outs in the top half and Brent Rooker’s RBI double off right-handed reliever Brenan Hanifee in the bottom half.
In the 11th inning, the Tigers and Athletics traded two runs, with Parker Meadows’ two-run double off left-handed reliever Scott Alexander with two outs in the top half and Brown’s two-run home run off right-handed reliever Shelby Miller in the bottom half.
Brown, a left-handed pinch-hitter, crushed Miller’s middle-middle slider with two strikes.
“It didn’t change a lot because we take Shelby on lefties the way he’s pitched against lefties,” Hinch said. “I know he’s had a couple of tough at-bats, but generally speaking, he’s been really tough there. Just one pitch to Brown, and the game continued.”
In the 12th inning, the Tigers and Athletics traded runs with Riley Greene’s RBI single off right-handed reliever Grant Holman in the top half and Rooker’s sacrifice fly off right-handed reliever Beau Brieske in the bottom half.
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The teams were tied, 6-6, entering the 13th inning.
Meadows, who hit a go-ahead grand slam in the ninth inning of Friday’s win over the San Diego Padres, struck out swinging with the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the 13th.
The Meadows strikeout accounted for Holman’s only strikeout in two innings of work.
The Athletics didn’t miss in their opportunity with one out in the bottom of the 13th, as Brown turned on an inside fastball from Brieske for a walk-off single down the first-base line and into right field, driving in the free runner from second base.
It was Brown’s second big hit in three innings.
In the loss, the Tigers used 13 position players and eight pitchers.
Meadows went 2-for-7 with four strikeouts; Greene went 4-for-6 with one strikeout; Keith went 1-for-6 with two strikeouts; Spencer Torkelson went 0-for-6 with four strikeouts; Trey Sweeney went 0-for-6 with two strikeouts; Jake Rogers went 0-for-4 with two walks and two strikeouts. Torkelson has struck out 26 times in 59 trips to the plate — a 48% strikeout rate — in his past 14 games.
The game lasted three hours, 34 minutes.
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Skubal shut down the Athletics until the fourth inning, when Lawrence Butler and Rooker hit back-to-back singles. With one out, JJ Bleday hit a ball off the wall in center field, but for a moment, it looked like Meadows caught the ball.
The moment of uncertainty was enough to fool the Athletics, with Butler stopping at third base, Bleday stopping at second base and Rooker getting caught in between them. The Tigers tagged out Rooker in between the bases.
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Skubal then stranded two runners in scoring position by striking out ex-Tiger Tyler Nevin, dropping in an 89.6 mph changeup at the bottom rail of the strike zone. When Nevin whiffed, Skubal unleashed a scream in celebration as he backpedaled off the mound.
The Athletics, though, finally scored in the fifth inning, as Zack Gelof doubled with one out and Jacob Wilson tripled with two outs. On the triple, the ball dropped inside the foul line in right field, just beyond the reach of a sliding Kerry Carpenter’s glove, to tie the game, 1-1.
In the sixth inning, ex-Tiger Daz Cameron put the Athletics ahead, 2-1, when he hit an RBI single off Skubal’s sinker — located middle-middle — with two strikes and two outs. The single from Cameron chased Skubal from his outing after 96 pitches.
Skubal has a 2.53 ERA in 28 starts.
Facing the Athletics, Skubal allowed two runs on nine hits with zero walks and seven strikeouts. The 27-year-old generated 18 whiffs on 48 swings, including 11 whiffs on 18 swings against his changeup.
The Tigers scored one run apiece in the fifth and seventh innings.
In the fifth, three singles in a row from Meadows, Jace Jung and Greene chased right-hander Mitch Spence from his start. The single from Greene put the Tigers ahead, 1-0.
In the seventh, Greene — a left-handed hitter — ripped a two-strike, two-out double off left-handed reliever Hogan Harris. The Tigers pinch-hit Matt Vierling for Carpenter, but the Athletics countered by bringing in right-handed reliever Michel Otañez.
The decision backfired.
Otañez threw two wild pitches within his first six pitches to Vierling. The first wild pitch allowed Greene to advance to third, and the second wild pitch allowed Greene to score for a 2-2 tie.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
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DETROIT, MI (WXYZ) — The Black Legacy Advancement Coalition’s Black Legacy Day celebration is an intergenerational, joy filled gathering in Detroit, centered around authentic joy and liberation.
On Saturday, May 30th, Detroiters, neighbors, partners and friends of every race, creed and background are invited to share in a day of reflection and fun. Highlights will include a food giveaway, a scavenger race, a men’s basketball tournament and free justice resources.
To learn more, visit www.theblac.co.
St. Hubert pastor discusses the Archdiocese of Detroit’s restructuring
The Rev. Douglas Bignall of St. Hubert Catholic Church in Harrison Township discusses the ongoing restructuring effort by the Archdiocese of Detroit on Tuesday, May 19, 2026.
The list of churches targeted for the possible stoppage of weekend Masses has grown to at least 58 parishes across southeast Michigan, according to the latest proposed models the Archdiocese of Detroit had released as part of its major restructuring process through Friday.
At least 22 parishes under the first round of proposed models wouldn’t hold weekend Mass. The archdiocese has been divided into 15 planning areas, or geographic areas, and three or four models are being proposed for each planning area, said the Rev. Mario Amore, executive director of parish renewal for the Archdiocese of Detroit.
The archdiocese has been holding listening sessions with parishioners this spring as part of its restructuring plan to get reactions.
The models have different proposed groupings of parishes, in which a grouping would share a pastor and potentially other priests. In some cases, selected churches in the grouping would no longer hold Sunday Mass.
The Archdiocese of Detroit released on May 22 and this past week the model proposals for another five planning areas, including areas of Macomb County, Oakland County and Detroit. Around 36 more parishes would no longer hold Mass in the future under the latest proposals.
Bunches of churches in Detroit would be affected, while four parishes in Troy and three parishes in Clinton Township wouldn’t have Saturday Vigil Mass or Sunday Mass under each of the proposed models presented for their planning areas.
Archdiocese of Detroit spokesperson Holly Fournier said the archdiocese has heard a wide range of reactions about the proposed models, which is “understandable given how personal parish life is for people.”
“Some pastors and parishioners are hopeful about opportunities for stronger collaboration and renewed ministry, while others are experiencing more uncertainty and concern, especially in places where one or more models suggest a parish might no longer host weekend Masses in the future,” she said.
Fournier emphasized that the models are “draft models” and aren’t final decisions.
The models for the final six planning areas will be released in June, according to the restructuring website.
The models are part of the archdiocese’s biggest restructuring plan in years. Announced last fall, Archbishop Edward Weisenburger said the archdiocese can’t maintain the roughly 200 existing parish buildings it has and is working to “right-size” the archdiocese, along with its personnel and financial resources.
Fournier said the draft models were developed by priests earlier this year and are being presented in listening sessions as proposals “meant to spark broader consultation with the faithful.” Each parish in the archdiocese is holding listening sessions this spring or early summer.
In other dioceses that have undergone restructuring processes like the Archdiocese of Detroit’s, as many as 20-40% of the initial models were changed as a result of parishioner feedback, Fournier said.
“That is why it is so important for Catholics to attend their parish listening sessions to view these models and provide their honest feedback, so informed adjustments can be made where necessary,” she said in an email.
One of the most heavily affected groupings is Planning Area 1, which includes west Detroit. Ten of its 13 parishes would not have Saturday Vigil Mass or Sunday Mass in at least one of the model plans. They include Christ the King, Presentation/Our Lady of Victory, SS. Peter and Paul (Jesuit), SS. Peter and Paul (Westside), St. Charles Lwanga Church, St. Mary of Redford, St. Moses the Black Parish, St. Peter Claver Parish, St. Scholastica and St. Suzanne-Our Lady Gate of Heaven, all of which are in Detroit.
Planning Area 9, which includes southeastern Oakland County, has between 15 and 19 parishes, depending on the model. Ten of the parishes wouldn’t hold weekend Mass in at least one of the models. Four of them are in Troy.
They include St. Lucy in Troy, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Troy, Christ Our Light in Troy, St. Thomas More in Troy, St. Owen in Bloomfield Township, Our Lady of La Salette in Berkley, Our Mother of Perpetual Help in Oak Park, St. Justin-St. Mary Magdalen in Hazel Park, St. Vincent Ferrer in Madison Heights and Divine Providence in Southfield.
Planning Area 10, which includes all of northern Oakland County and parts of western Oakland County, has 19 to 22 parishes, depending on the model. Seven would stop holding weekend Mass in at least one of the models, including St. Benedict in Waterford Township, St. Thomas More in Troy, Sacred Heart in Auburn Hills, St. John Fisher Chapel University Parish in Auburn Hills, St. Perpetua in Waterford Township, St. Rita in Holly and Prince of Peace in West Bloomfield Township.
Planning Area 12, which includes parts of southern and eastern Macomb County, has 16 parishes. Four Warren parishes and three Clinton Township parishes would stop holding Mass under the draft models.
St. Louise de Marillac in Warren wouldn’t hold Saturday Vigil or Sunday Mass in two of the three draft models presented by the archdiocese. Six other parishes would not hold weekend Mass in only one of the models, including St. Louis in Clinton Township, San Francesco in Clinton Township, St. Ronald in Clinton Township, St. Martin de Porres in Warren, St. Faustina in Warren and St. Mark in Warren.
Planning Area 13, which includes areas of central and northern Macomb County and a parish in Troy, has 14 or 16 parishes, depending on the draft model. Three parishes in the planning area wouldn’t have weekend Mass under at least one of the models: St. Jane Frances de Chantal in Sterling Heights, St. Matthias in Sterling Heights and SS. John and Paul in Washington Township.
Amore said that if a church stops holding Sunday Mass, parishioners are encouraged to worship at other churches in their “pastorate,” which is a grouping of parishes overseen by a pastor. In the long term, the church building might close, or other sacramental celebrations might take place there, such as weddings and baptisms, he said.
The parish’s buildings could also be repurposed for other uses, such as religious education classes.
Fournier said the proposed models are meant to “foster discussion and discernment.”
“We encourage Catholics to stay engaged in the process, share their feedback honestly, and remember that the goal is not simply organizational change, but ensuring vibrant Catholic communities for future generations,” she said.
asnabes@detroitnews.com
Detroit’s dining scene just got even more flavorful with the opening of Sunda New Asian, bringing modern Southeast Asian cuisine to the city.
Restaurant owner Billy Dec joins the show to share what guests can expect from the new hotspot, from bold dishes and incredible cocktails to an energetic atmosphere.
Watch the video above to see what’s cooking up at Sunda New Asian.
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