Tigers snap four-game skid, beat Rays 4-1
Detroit ended a four-game losing streak by beating Tampa Bay 4-1 at Comerica Park, with Max Clark's two-run homer backing a strong relief effort from Jackson Jobe.
Clark's homer ends the skid
Rays1-4Rays4-1The Tigers beat the Rays 4-1 at Comerica Park on August 25, a day after losing to them by that same score, 4-1, in the series opener. It was Detroit's only win in its last five games, a stretch that includes a three-game sweep at the hands of the Royals before Tampa Bay came to town.
Max Clark went 1-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs to power the offense, and Jackson Jobe worked 4 1/3 innings out of the bullpen, allowing four hits and one earned run while striking out four and walking three. At 62-70, the Tigers sit 7 games back in the AL Central with an elimination number of 24.
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Riley Greene, out with a hamstring injury and on the 10-day IL, returned to Detroit on August 24 and took part in conditioning work at Comerica Park ahead of the Rays series opener, according to Evan Woodbery of MLive.com. There's no word yet on when the left fielder will be activated, but being back on the field for workouts is the first real step toward a return.
Jack Flaherty is further along in his own recovery. The right-hander, on the 15-day IL with a forearm issue, threw a bullpen session in Kansas City on August 23, MLB.com reported. Both moves come as the rotation and lineup try to find stability during a losing stretch.
Upcoming
The Tigers host the Rays this afternoon, sending Troy Melton (7-2, 1.70 ERA) to the mound against Tampa Bay's Freddy Peralta (5-11, 5.33 ERA). Melton was tagged for three earned runs over 5 2/3 innings in a loss to the Royals in his last start, while Peralta allowed five earned runs over seven innings in a loss to the Orioles in his.
The market favors Detroit, and the total points to a low-scoring afternoon, a line that fits Melton's ERA even after his last outing. For it to hold, the Tigers need Melton to look more like his season-long self than the pitcher who struggled in Kansas City, and for an offense that has scored just once in three of its last five games to find enough against Peralta.