The Detroit Tigers dropped a soggy series opener against the Boston Red Sox, 5-4, on Monday at Comerica Park—a game that started with bad news and ended with a bullpen meltdown. Before the first pitch, the Tigers announced that ace left-hander Tarik Skubal had been scratched from his scheduled start and placed on the injured list due to loose bodies in his left elbow, requiring surgery. It was a gut punch for a team already navigating a pitching staff in flux.
Without Skubal, the Tigers turned to a second consecutive bullpen day, but the plan unraveled in the seventh inning. Right-hander Ricky Vanasco opened the frame with a leadoff walk, and left-hander Enmanuel De Jesus couldn't stop the bleeding. The Red Sox capitalized, scoring all five of their runs in the inning—a rally aided by a misplay from right fielder Wenceel Pérez. Suddenly, a tight contest turned into a 5-0 deficit.
To their credit, the Tigers didn't fold. After a 28-minute rain delay in the eighth inning, the offense finally awakened. They pushed two runs across the plate, but the comeback fell just short, leaving the Tigers at 18-18 on the season. The Red Sox, meanwhile, improved to 14-21.
For much of the night, Boston left-hander Payton Tolle was in complete control. He held the Tigers to just one hit over the first seven innings, allowing two unearned runs while striking out eight. If not for the rain delay, he might have finished the game. The Tigers' first real threat came in the fifth inning, when Riley Greene ripped a down-and-in sinker into the right-field corner for a leadoff double. But the next three batters couldn't bring him home, leaving him stranded in scoring position.
The Tigers finally broke through in the sixth, thanks to a mix of small ball and Red Sox miscues. Colt Keith was hit by a pitch, and Jahmai Jones drew a walk, putting two runners on with one out. Then, a pickoff attempt by catcher Carlos Narváez went awry, allowing both runners to advance into scoring position. Matt Vierling followed with a broken-bat grounder to third base, and third baseman Andruw Monasterio's off-balance throw sailed past Narváez, allowing both runs to score and giving the Tigers a brief 2-0 lead.
But the bullpen couldn't hold it, and now the Tigers must regroup quickly. They'll get back at it Tuesday at 6:40 p.m. on Detroit SportsNet, sending left-hander Framber Valdez (3.35 ERA in seven starts) to the mound against Red Sox right-hander Brayan Bello. For a team already missing its top arm, every game feels a little more critical—especially with the rain clouds still lingering in the forecast.