Tigers fall to Rays 8-3 on June 21, 2025, after a tough start by Brant Hurter. Discover the silver lining in Sawyer Gipson-Long's gritty 6.1 inning relief.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
It was one of those nights where things went south early and never quite recovered. The Detroit Tigers fell to the Tampa Bay Rays 8-3 on Saturday, undone by a disastrous opening frame and a barrage of solo home runs. While the loss stings, a gutsy, season-long relief performance from Sawyer Gipson-Long provided a much-needed bright spot and a reason for optimism, even in defeat.
Sawyer Gipson-Long provided 6.1 innings of bulk relief, a new season high and a massive step forward in his return from major surgery.
The plan to use Brant Hurter as an opener didn't go as scripted. The lefty struggled to find his command, lasting just two-thirds of an inning. He was tagged for four unearned runs, fueled by two hits, two walks, and a hit batter. By the time the dust settled on his 31-pitch outing, the Tigers were in a deep 4-0 hole before they even had a chance to bat. While Hurter's season ERA remains a respectable 2.29, it was a tough night that put the team behind the eight ball immediately.
The clear silver lining of the night was the marathon performance from Sawyer Gipson-Long. Called upon to clean up the first-inning mess, he went on to pitch 6.1 innings, a monumental effort that saved the rest of the bullpen for the series. While he did surrender his first three home runs of the season to a powerful Rays lineup featuring Junior Caminero, Danny Jansen, and Christopher Morel, the sheer volume of his outing was a huge positive. Seeing him pitch that deep into a game is a fantastic sign as he continues to round into form following Tommy John and hip surgeries. He ate innings when the team needed it most.
Facing the early deficit, the Tigers' bats couldn't mount a significant comeback against Rays starter Ryan Pepiot. The right-hander was sharp, striking out seven over five innings while allowing just one run. Detroit managed to scratch a few runs across, with Jahmai Jones lacing an RBI double and Jake Rogers driving in another, but they couldn't string together the big rally needed to close the gap. The three runs simply weren't enough to counter Tampa Bay's power display.
While a loss is never what you want, this one feels different. The Tigers maintain their perch atop the AL Central, and the emergence of Sawyer Gipson-Long as a potential bulk-inning weapon is a massive development. The team will look to shake this one off, flush the tough start, and come back tomorrow ready to even the series. The key will be getting a clean start on the mound and waking up the bats against a tough Rays pitching staff.
