Detroit Tigers five games under .500 after 2-1 loss to Atlanta Braves

ATLANTA — The Detroit Tigers lost five games below .500 for the first time in the 2024 season.

In Tuesday’s 2-1 loss to the Atlanta Braves, right-hander Casey Mize showed his ability to compete by rebounding after a two-run first inning, but the defense committed two errors and the offense remained virtually dead.

The Tigers (34-39), who finished with five hits and two walks in Tuesday’s game at Truist Park, are 29-39 since their 5-0 start to the season. They have lost nine of their last 12 games with three straight defeats.

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The Tigers scored their only run against right-hander Spencer Schwellenbach in the sixth inning thanks to Riley Greene and Gio Urshela.

Greene opened the sixth inning by hitting Schwellenbach’s first-pitch cutter — located up the middle — into the gap in right-center field and rushed around the bases for a triple.

It was the Tigers’ second hit of the game.

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The Tigers cut their deficit to 2-1 when Gio Urshela hit a slider below the strike zone for a one-out single in the sixth inning, scoring Greene.

After that, the Tigers produced a two-out single against reliever Pierce Johnson in the seventh inning and a one-out single against reliever Joe Jiménez in the eighth inning, but those runners were stranded.

All three batters were grounded by Braves closer Raisel Iglesias in the ninth inning: Justyn-Henry Malloy (strikeout), Zach McKinstry (hit) and Carson Kelly (out).

Casey Mize fights

The first round had all the ingredients of a bad day for Mize.

The Braves’ first three batters recorded hits – Jarred Kelenic (single), Ozzie Albies (RBI triple) and Marcell Ozuna (RBI single) – to take a 2-0 lead, but Mize responded by firing all three batters following steps to escape further damage. .

Mize also kept the Braves from scoring in the second, third and fourth innings. The 27-year-old allowed two runs on five hits with zero walks and three strikeouts in four innings, throwing 87 pitches.

Third baseman Urshela made a throwing error in the second inning and second baseman Colt Keith, who entered Tuesday’s game with a minus-8 defensive runs saved value, made a defensive error in the third round. Mize wasn’t fazed by the errors, but they extended his pitch count.

Mize, who threw 54 pitches in his first two innings compared to 33 pitches in his last two innings, won a 13-pitch battle against Albies with two outs in the second inning. A flyout to center field from runners stranded at first and second base.

Mize generated 11 whiffs on 57 swings – a 19.3% whiff rate – with four fastballs, four sliders, two splitters and a sinker. His four-seam fastball averaged 96.9 mph, up from his 95.4 mph average in his first 13 starts.

He has a 4.43 ERA in 14 starts this season.

Spencer Schwellenbach of Saginaw

Until the sixth inning, the Tigers produced only one hit against Schwellenbach. The 24-year-old, who was born in Saginaw and attended Heritage High School, allowed one run on three hits and two walks with seven strikeouts, throwing 89 pitches.

It was the fourth start of his MLB career.

Schwellenbach racked up 18 whiffs on 49 swings – an impressive 36.7% whiff rate – with two fastballs, seven cutters, four sliders, three curveballs and two splitters.

Keith had the Tigers’ only hit until Greene’s triple to open the sixth inning. Keith hit Schwellenbach’s curveball for a one-out single in the second inning, but the Tigers blocked it.

The Tigers have been terrible on offense since Kerry Carpenter, a left-handed hitter who hits right-handed pitchers, landed on the injured list May 28 with a stress fracture in his lumbar spine.

The hole in the roster is obvious.

The Tigers hit .236 with a .306 on-base percentage and a .684 on-base percentage when Carpenter was healthy, but in his absence the Tigers are hitting .216 with a .276 OBP and a .635. OPS on 20 games.

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