Tigers shut out 2-0 by Rangers on July 20, 2025. Tarik Skubal's gem is wasted as Corey Seager's double sinks Detroit for their sixth straight loss.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
Another day, another frustrating loss. The Detroit Tigers' mid-summer slump deepened on Sunday, as they were shut out 2-0 by the Texas Rangers, marking their sixth consecutive defeat. Despite a gem from ace Tarik Skubal, the offense was nowhere to be found, leaving fans wondering: when will this skid end?
Despite the six-game slide, the Tigers still sit atop the AL Central at 59-40, but the once-comfortable lead is feeling a little less secure.
You couldn't have asked for much more from Tarik Skubal. The Tigers' ace was dealing, navigating the potent Rangers lineup with precision through seven scoreless innings. But the story remains the same: zero run support. The game was a tense, scoreless duel until the bottom of the 8th, when reliever Tommy Kahnle surrendered a decisive two-run double to Corey Seager. That was all it took. A brilliant starting pitching performance, erased by one swing and an offense that couldn't muster a single run.
The box score tells a painful story: just four hits for the entire team. It's a troubling trend for a club that has relied on timely hitting all season. While Riley Greene continues to be a presence at the plate, the lineup is struggling to string anything together. It's impossible to ignore the absence of Kerry Carpenter, still sidelined with a hamstring strain. His bat is sorely missed, and until he returns or others step up, the pressure on the pitching staff will only intensify.
While the on-field product was tough to watch, the front office is making moves. The Tigers officially signed right-handed reliever Tanner Rainey on Friday, a move designed to add another power arm to the bullpen. While he didn't pitch Sunday, his arrival signals that management sees the need for reinforcements. With pitcher Sawyer Gipson-Long also working his way back on a rehab assignment in Toledo, the pitching staff could get a second-half boost. The question is whether it will be enough to wake up the bats.
A six-game losing streak is never fun, but let's take a deep breath. The Tigers are still in first place. The foundation is solid, led by manager AJ Hinch and a stellar pitching staff. The immediate challenge is to snap this streak, find an offensive spark, and get back to playing Tigers baseball. With reinforcements like Tanner Rainey arriving and key players hopefully returning soon, this next week becomes a crucial test of the team's resilience. It's time to stop the bleeding.