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 reliever Jason Foley hung a second-pitch slider to Fernando Tatis Jr. with a runner in scoring position and two outs in the bottom of the 10th inning.
That small mistake made a difference.
The Tigers lost, 6-5, to the San Diego Padres on Wednesday on a walk-off single from Tatis, who recently returned from the injured list, in the second of three games in the series at Petco Park.
The game ended when Tatis, a right-handed hitter, smacked the right-handed Foley’s middle-middle slider on the ground and through the left side of the infield, enough to score the free runner in extra innings from second base.
SHORTSTOP STOPPED: Detroit Tigers’ Javier Báez undergoes hip surgery, but too soon for timeline
“We had our chances,” manager A.J. Hinch told reporters in San Diego. “We were chipping away, which got us the lead, and then they showed their quick-strike offense and shut-down bullpen. Tough game and a tough loss, especially getting into extra innings. We didn’t do anything with our extra runner. They were able to push theirs across.”
The Tigers (70-70) — following back-to-back losses — dropped to 5½ games back for the third and final spot in the American League wild-card race. Three AL teams are at 70-70: the Tigers, the Boston Red Sox and the Seattle Mariners, with the Tampa Bay Rays at 69-70.
Right-hander starter Keider Montero, who has a 5.47 ERA through 14 games in his rookie campaign, squandered a five-run lead by allowing the Padres to score five runs across the fourth and fifth innings.
The Padres missed opportunities with the bases loaded in the sixth and seventh innings, stranding all three runners against right-handed reliever Beau Brieske in the sixth and right-handed reliever Shelby Miller in the seventh.
Meanwhile, right-handed reliever Will Vest made his job look easy against the Padres’ three best hitters — Tatis (swinging strikeout), Jurickson Profar (swinging strikeout) and Manny Machado (groundout) — in the eighth. Vest then returned for the ninth and retired three batters in a row to send the game to extra innings.
In the top of the 10th, the Tigers had runners on the corners with two outs against right-handed reliever Jeremiah Estrada, but right-handed Justyn-Henry Malloy, pinch-hitting for lefty Andy Ibáñez, flew out to center to end the inning.
The Padres walked-off the Tigers in the 10th. Before Tatis’ walk-off single, the Tigers intentionally walked contact-first left-handed hitter Luis Arraez, who wasn’t a favorable matchup because Foley historically struggles against lefties.
Also, Foley doesn’t miss bats.
“We’ll take our shot with a righty,” Hinch said. “I thought the ball could get on the ground, which it did, but you’re not in a good spot either way. We thought the better shot at getting the ball on the ground at somebody was going to be with the righty.”
Tatis, whose walk-off single ended the game, returned from the injured list before Monday’s series opener against the Tigers. He hadn’t played since June 21 because of a right femoral stress reaction.
[ MUST LISTEN: Make “Days of Roar” your go-to Detroit Tigers podcast, available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple,Spotify) ]
Montero fell apart in the fourth inning.
Walking Xander Bogaerts put two runners on with one out for rookie Jackson Merrill, who collected his 22nd home run in his 136th game. He hit Montero’s middle-middle fastball for a three-run home run to left-center, cutting the Tigers’ lead to 5-3.
In the fifth inning, the Padres jumped Montero with back-to-back hits from Arraez (single) and Tatis (double) to put runners on the corners. Both hits occurred on pitches that Montero left over the middle of the strike zone.
With one out, Machado — the final batter of Montero’s start, regardless of the outcome — got just enough of a down-and-away changeup in a two-strike count, producing a ground-ball single to tie the game at 5-5.
LOOKING AHEAD: 5 storylines for Detroit Tigers in September 2024, including postseason push
Montero, 24, allowed five runs on seven hits with two walks and two strikeouts across 4⅓ innings, throwing 71 pitches. He has surrendered at least four runs in eight of his 14 games since making his MLB debut in late May.
Right-hander Yu Darvish, a five-time All-Star, was placed on the restricted list in early July while tending to a personal matter. The 38-year-old made his long-awaited return Thursday against the Tigers, but he wasn’t sharp.
OUTSIDE THE ROTATION: All hail The Opener, an untapped ace
The Tigers worked Darvish for numerous deep counts, forcing his exit after 63 pitches in the third inning. He allowed three runs on four hits and two walks with four strikeouts across 2⅔ innings.
Matt Vierling put the Tigers ahead, 1-0, when he turned on an up-and-in 95 mph fastball with two strikes and two outs in the first inning. It was his 16th homer of the season.
The Tigers extended their lead to 2-0 in the second inning, thanks to a leadoff walk from Spencer Torkelson. He came around to score on a single from Jace Jung, a wild pitch by Darvish and an RBI groundout from Dillon Dingler.
A leadoff walk from Riley Greene created another scoring opportunity in the third inning, which the Tigers took advantage of with Colt Keith’s two-out RBI single for a 3-0 lead. The single from Keith, who had been slumping for the past week, chased Darvish.
Facing left-handed reliever Yuki Matsui, rookie shortstop Trey Sweeney put the Tigers ahead, 5-0, in the fourth inning with a two-run home run on an up-and-in fastball with two strikes. Jung, a fellow left-handed hitter, kickstarted the run-scoring inning by working a leadoff walk, just like Torkelson in the second and Greene in the third.
It was Sweeney’s first home run against a left-handed pitcher in the 2024 season, following 15 homers in 107 games in Triple-A and two homers in 15 games in MLB.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
Listen to our weekly Tigers show “Days of Roar” every Monday afternoon on demand at freep.com, Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. And catch all of our podcasts and daily voice briefing at freep.com/podcasts.
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.
Copyright 2026 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit – All rights reserved.
Video: Can California Convince Teens to Work in Construction?
Backrooms is a certified blockbuster with a $38 million opening day
Hamas struggles to fill leadership ranks as Israel hunts Oct 7 terrorists
Anti-ICE agitator charged with allegedly biting officers during Delaney Hall clashes
What to do if someone is having a stroke, after Jill Biden revealed debate-night fears
Dispatch audio reveals what was heard inside Josh Jacobs’ home before alleged domestic violence arrest
Cab-less electric trucks hit Ohio roads
Vince McMahon and others are sanctioned for destroying evidence in WWE shareholder lawsuit
