The Detroit Tigers' bullpen struggles continued Friday night, as a late-inning collapse sealed a 5-4 loss to the Texas Rangers in the series opener at Comerica Park. The Tigers' relief corps, which ranks 21st in the major leagues, allowed the go-ahead run in the top of the eighth inning, undoing a promising middle-innings rally.
After Detroit clawed back to tie the game with a four-run outburst across the fourth and fifth innings, the Rangers struck back decisively. Jake Burger led off the eighth with a sharp double into left field, and Alejandro Osuna followed with another double—this one just past a diving Hao-Yu Lee at third base—to plate the winning run. Lee, standing on the edge of the infield grass as he received the relay, shook off the dirt from his dive and the sting of seeing a hard-fought comeback slip away.
The night was another tough outing for starting pitcher Jack Flaherty, who has been battling control issues throughout the 2026 season. Flaherty lasted just 3.2 innings, surrendering four runs on five hits and three walks while striking out four. The right-hander started strong, working out of a first-inning jam and freezing Jake Burger and Alejandro Osuna with fastballs to open the second. But the third inning proved disastrous.
Danny Jansen led off the top of the third with a solo home run to left field, a no-doubter that set the tone. Flaherty then walked the next three batters to load the bases with no outs, drawing boos from the Comerica Park crowd. The Tigers managed to limit the damage to two more runs—an RBI single and a sacrifice fly—but even that escape was messy. A pop-up that Flaherty lost in the clouds hit his glove before landing on the infield, but the infield fly rule gave Detroit a much-needed out.
Flaherty retired two batters before yielding a single in the fourth inning, ending his night. The bullpen took over from there, but the eighth-inning breakthrough by Texas proved too much to overcome. For Tigers fans, the loss highlights a familiar story: a lineup that battles back, only to be let down by a bullpen that can't hold the line. With the season pressing on, Detroit will need to find answers quickly if they hope to turn close games into wins.