The Cleveland Guardians keep collapsing during their most important stretch of the season, falling 6-4 in Detroit against the Tigers on Tuesday’s opener at Comerica Park. They have now lost 14 of their last 18, six of their last seven, and three in a row, and everything they worked so hard to achieve in the first couple of months can slip away if they can’t right the ship.
The offense went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position, and Tanner Bibee, who had held the Tigers to just one run in the first four frames, unraveled in the fifth. The right-hander ended up surrendering six runs (five earned) in 6.1 innings, with five hits and two walks while striking out four. He probably wasn’t as bad as the box score shows and actually didn’t allow any homers, but the Tigers sure made their hits count.
Back at it tomorrow night.#GuardsBall pic.twitter.com/SlEOQejcWn
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) August 12, 2026
The Guardians are now 58-62, as the Chicago White Sox continue to build a sizable lead in the AL Central. Cleveland is fourth in the division and out of the playoff picture as of Tuesday night, believe it or not.
Spencer Torkelson drove in Riley Greene with the home club’s first run of the game in the bottom of the second. The Guardians would tie things in the top of the third with Chase DeLauter’s solo blast, his 13th of the season.
The Tigers took control of the game in the fifth. Rookie sensation Kevin McGonigle hit a two-run double off Bibee that brought home Max Clark and Javier Baez, and later in the inning, Gleyber Torres singled to plate McGonigle with Detroit’s fourth run of the night.
Jose Ramirez hit an RBI groundout, allowing Steven Kwan, who reached a career-high 26 straight games getting on base, to score Cleveland’s second run. J-Ram, however, missed a catch that resulted in Baez scoring the Tigers’ fifth run in the bottom of the seventh. A few moments later, McGonigle singled in Zack McKinstry as Detroit extended its lead to four runs.
In the top of the eighth, Jo Adell hit his first homer in a Guardians’ uniform and got another RBI in the top of the ninth with a sac fly. That’s the closest that Cleveland would get, though, as Travis Bazzana grounded out with the tying run at second base.
Matt Festa and Franco Aleman represented the much-criticized Guardians’ bullpen well, combining for 1.2 scoreless frames. The Tigers just had a good night against Bibee, though.
DeLauter racked up three hits, including the homer, and Adell also went yard once and walked twice. Kwan went 2-for-4 with a couple of runs.
The two teams will do it again on Wednesday at 6:40 pm ET. Foster Griffin will face Framber Valdez in a clash of lefties.
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