Jack Flaherty’s Command Issues, Spencer Torkelson’s Quiet Approach Loom Large in Tigers’ Loss

Jack Flaherty's walks are an issue that cant be ignored. When you think of 11 a. m.

baseball, maybe you chalk it up to the kind of thing you see in the minors or in tournament settings. But in today’s 8-6 loss to Boston, the Tigers turned it into one of their sloppiest and weirdest games in recent memory. Jack Flaherty’s throwing error in the second inning helped put Detroit behind, the six walks kept traffic on the bases all morning, and Spencer Torkelson’s ninth-inning pinch-hit strikeout landed in one of the few spots where a single swing could have changed the feel of the finish.

Detroit chipped back late, but the more interesting story from this one is that both Flaherty and Torkelson look less decisive right now than they do when they are right. Start with Flaherty. Today’s line — 3.

1 innings, 3 hits, 2 runs, 0 earned runs, 6 walks, 3 strikeouts — points to command and count leverage more than raw stuff. Baseball Savant backs that up. His average exit velocity allowed is up to 90.