Casey Mize Returns To Cold Tigers Bats
The right-hander fueled Detroit’s rotation with six scoreless innings, but a stagnant offense and extra-inning collapse spoiled his stellar homecoming against the Blue Jays at Comerica Park.
Tigers Offense Comes Up Short... Again Casey Mize’s return to the rotation came at the right time for the Tigers. With Detroit’s pitching staff trying to hold together through injuries and recent heavy bullpen usage, Mize gave the Tigers exactly what they needed Saturday afternoon at Comerica Park.
He worked six scoreless innings, allowed only two hits, struck out four and did not walk a batter in his first start back from the injured list. It was his fourth quality start of the season, but the Tigers’ offense again failed to give him much room to work. Toronto tied the game in the seventh, pushed across the automatic runner in the 10th and beat Detroit 2-1, dropping the Tigers to 0-3 in extra-inning games this season.
Daulton Varsho delivered the go-ahead single in the 10th off Tyler Holton, scoring Vladimir Guerrero Jr. from second. Detroit had one final chance in the bottom half, but Jake Rogers grounded out, Kevin McGonigle moved Zack Short to third with a groundout and Dillon Dingler struck out to end it.
It was another game where the margin was thin and the offensive issues were not hard to find. Matt Vierling supplied Detroit’s only run with a solo homer in the sixth inning, his third of the season. For a few minutes, it looked as if that swing might be enough.