Detroit Tigers, Game 5: One thing I loved, one thing I didn't

The News' Tony Paul gives his quick takes on the Tigers' 7-5 loss to the Diamondbacks on Tuesday: One thing I loved On a day when Tigers manager AJ Hinch and Lions head coach Dan Campbell had a coffee date in a posh Arizona hotel , Hinch decided to throw an audible with his lineup — just five games into the season . Most notably, the scuffling Kerry Carpenter was moved out of the leadoff spot (Colt Keith, in), and the kid, Kevin McGonigle, was moved up to second, from the sixth spot. The slight switcharooo paid off with a monster third inning, in which the Tigers scored five times, highlighted by Jake Rogers' RBI double (he had 10 extra-base hits all of 2026; that was his first of 2025), and Carpenter's first RBI of the season, on a sharp single, after striking out 10 times in his first four games.

Riley Greene had a two-run double, featuring a sweet, under-control swing for a guy who's looking to quiet the critics of his 201-strikeout 2025. It already was the fourth time in five games the Tigers have sent at least nine men to the plate in an inning: Game 1: First inning, nine batters, four runs (Tigers beat Padres, 8-2) Game 2: Eighth inning, nine batters, four runs (Tigers beat Padres, 5-2) Game 4: Seventh inning, 12 batters, six runs (Tigers lost to Diamondbacks, 9-6) Game 5: Third inning, nine batters, five runs (Tigers lost to Diamondbacks, 7-5) Interestingly, the Tigers' big third inning might've gotten a key assist from Diamondbacks manager Torey Luvollo, who declined to challenge the call on a pickoff attempt on Parker Meadows. Rogers followed with a long RBI double to center and the Tigers were off to the races.

tigs strike first 🙂‍↕️ pic. twitter. com/oHvJSbvckK — Detroit Tigers (@tigers) April 1, 2026 Big innings are fun, but ...

One thing I didn't It's been feast or famine for the Tigers' bats this season. In four innings, they've scored 19 runs. In the other 41 innings, they've scored five runs.