None of that ended up mattering once the game got going. Baltimore jumped in front early and never trailed, answering every push Detroit made with one of its own.
The Tigers clawed to within a run heading into the fifth, only for the Orioles to blow it back open with a 3-run inning that put the game out of reach. Baltimore finished with 12 hits and didn't lean heavily on the extra help, though a Detroit error in the field didn't do the Tigers any favors either.
Manager A.J. Hinch has described this stretch as playing a daily Game 7 for Detroit, with ace Tarik Skubal's trade future hanging over every series as the Aug. 3 deadline closes in. A loss like this one — blowing a winnable spot at home — is exactly the kind of result that tilts a fringe team toward selling instead of buying.
Baltimore, for its part, has reportedly been telling other clubs it's more likely to be a seller than a buyer this summer, even with results like Monday's keeping the Orioles within shouting distance of a Wild Card spot. Both rosters are already thin from injuries, which only raises the stakes on what each front office decides to do with the two weeks it has left.
For one night, at least, Baltimore looked like the healthier, more complete team, and Detroit's home crowd went home with a loss that adds one more log onto the Skubal fire.