When your highest-paid player is supposed to be the anchor, you expect him to steady the ship—not send it straight into the rocks. That's exactly what happened Tuesday night for the Detroit Tigers, as Framber Valdez had a meltdown for the ages in a 10-3 loss to the Boston Red Sox at Comerica Park.

The left-hander, who carries the biggest paycheck on the Tigers' roster, was called upon to step up after ace Tarik Skubal was placed on the injured list with loose bodies in his elbow. Instead, Valdez unraveled in spectacular fashion. He surrendered 10 runs without recording a single out in the fourth inning, then plunked Boston's Trevor Story with a 94.4 mph fastball—the only four-seamer he's thrown all season. The pitch appeared intentional, and Valdez was promptly ejected as benches and bullpens cleared. Fortunately, the confrontation remained verbal, with no punches thrown.

The damage was done early. Ceddanne Rafaela launched a three-run homer in the first inning, aided by a fielding error from third baseman Zach McKinstry, fresh off the injured list. Then came the fourth-inning fireworks: Willson Contreras and Wilyer Abreu went back-to-back with solo shots, both players flipping their bats in celebration, pushing the lead to 10-2. Valdez finished the night with 10 runs (seven earned) on nine hits and a walk over just three-plus innings, managing only six whiffs on 60 pitches. The Red Sox hammered him, posting a 93.3 mph average exit velocity on 16 balls in play.

The loss drops the Tigers to 18-19, having lost consecutive games since Skubal's injury. The silver lining? They'll try to avoid a sweep Wednesday, sending struggling right-hander Jack Flaherty (5.90 ERA in seven starts) to the mound against the Red Sox at 6:40 p.m. on Detroit SportsNet. For a team already reeling from losing its ace, this was a gut punch they couldn't afford—but the season is far from over.