The Detroit Tigers' bullpen collapsed in a 10-1 loss to the Baltimore Orioles on June 12, 2025. Jordan Westburg's 3-run homer capped a 7-run 8th inning.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
For seven innings, it was a classic baseball chess match. A tight, tense affair at Camden Yards where every pitch mattered. The Detroit Tigers were right there, trailing by a single run and threatening to tie it. Then came the eighth inning, a frame that turned a nail-biter into a blowout and sent the Tigers home with a stinging 10-1 defeat.
The Tigers' bullpen gave up eight runs in the seventh and eighth innings, including a two-run double by Ryan O'Hearn and a three-run homer by Jordan Westburg.
What started as a manageable 2-1 deficit spiraled out of control in the bottom of the eighth. The Orioles' offense, quiet for most of the night, came alive against the Tigers' bullpen. Relievers Brenan Hanifee and Beau Brieske couldn't stop the bleeding as Baltimore piled on seven runs. The onslaught was capped by a crushing three-run homer from Jordan Westburg that put the game far out of reach and highlighted a rough night for the relief corps.
Before the late-game collapse, the Tigers had their golden opportunity. In the top of the seventh, with Wenceel Perez on third and another runner on second, the stage was set to tie the game. Pinch-hitter Dillon Dingler stepped to the plate and hit a sharp grounder to third. But a perfect throw home by Ramón Urías cut down Perez at the plate, extinguishing the rally and preserving the Orioles' lead. It was a moment of high drama that, in hindsight, was the Tigers' last best chance.
Despite the lopsided final score, there were positive takeaways. Starter Casey Mize was sharp, delivering 5 1/3 solid innings where he allowed just two runs while striking out seven Orioles. He pitched well enough to win but was ultimately saddled with a tough-luck loss. On offense, rookie Colt Keith provided the lone spark, smashing an RBI double off the right-field scoreboard for Detroit's only run. Keith's continued production is a major bright spot in the 2025 campaign.
The performances from players like Mize, Keith, and even recent graduates like Dillon Dingler and Trey Sweeney, underscore a key theme for this Tigers team: the strength of its farm system. With four of the team's six most productive hitters and five of its six rotation members coming up through the Detroit system, the foundation for sustained success is clearly being built from within. While losses like this sting, the core of this roster provides plenty of reason for optimism.
It's a tough loss to swallow, but the beauty of baseball is that redemption is always just a day away. And tomorrow, the Tigers send their ace to the mound. Reigning AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal, who has allowed just one run over his last 23 2/3 innings, gets the ball. If there's anyone who can wash away the taste of a bad loss and get the team back on track, it's Skubal. Tune in tomorrow, folks. The stopper is on his way.
