{"id":106385,"date":"2025-08-27T21:44:34","date_gmt":"2025-08-28T01:44:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=106385"},"modified":"2025-08-27T21:44:34","modified_gmt":"2025-08-28T01:44:34","slug":"detroit-tigers-fielding-mistakes-beginning-take-toll","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2025\/08\/27\/detroit-tigers-fielding-mistakes-beginning-take-toll\/","title":{"rendered":"Tigers’ Fielding Mistakes Beginning to Take Their Toll"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Detroit Tigers didn’t take long to reclaim their standing atop the American League from the Toronto Blue Jays after their comfortable lead had vanished in recent weeks. A four-game and five-game win streak helped propel Detroit back to where the team has sat for the majority of the 2025 campaign. But the team has been playing with fire with their fielding throughout the last week, a trend that can’t continue if the Tigers hope to retain their contention status.<\/p>\n

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Jul 6, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) throws a pitch during the fourth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Tigers’ Fielding Mistakes Starting to Become Costly<\/h2>\n

For most of the season, the Tigers have been an above-average defensive team thanks to their infield’s versatility and outfield’s athleticism. But Detroit’s last week of games has shown that maybe their defense isn’t as solid as they thought. The Tigers have committed nine errors over their last six games entering Wednesday, a stark contrast from their 0.51 per game average. The team hasn’t gone without a fielding mistake since a 1-0 extra-innings victory on August 19th.<\/p>\n

Detroit managed to survive its miscues against the Houston Astros and Kansas City Royals, winning three of four despite committing five errors over that stretch. But the Tigers’ fielding issues have only worsened in their current series against the Athletics. The A’s are hot, winning 20 of their last 30 contests. However, each of Detroit’s last two losses could have been avoided had the team not made a pair of errors in each matchup.<\/p>\n

Defensive Miscues to Blame for Recent Losses<\/h3>\n

The Athletics stunned Detroit 8-3 in the first bout of the teams’ three-game series. But through six innings, it seemed like another masterful Tarik Skubal<\/a> performance that would result in an expected win for the Tigers. Even after shortstop Zach McKinstry<\/a> made an error that resulted in an unearned run, Detroit still led 3-1.<\/p>\n

In the bottom of the seventh, though, a McKinstry mistake proved much more costly. To begin the frame, Skubal gave up his lone earned run of the game, a long ball to rookie right fielder Colby Thomas<\/a>. The reigning American League Cy Young Award winner<\/a> proceeded to give up a single and a double, suddenly putting the final result in question.<\/p>\n

Skubal readjusted for the next batter, coaxing a routine ground ball that should have been an easy out at first base. Instead, McKinstry made his second error of the game after getting jumbled up with third baseman Andy Ib\u00e1\u00f1ez<\/a>. No one scored on the play, but the damage would be done later that inning.<\/p>\n

Skubal proceeded to strike out the next two A’s batters, which would have ended the inning without the miscue. Instead, with two outs, Shea Langeliers<\/a>, one of the hottest hitters in baseball, crushed a grand slam that gave his team a lead it would never surrender. Detroit didn’t score again, but even if they had, the damage was already done.<\/p>\n

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Shea Langeliers DEMOLISHES a GRAND SLAM \u2604\ufe0f pic.twitter.com\/w1lZxAgGve<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 MLB (@MLB) August 26, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n