The Detroit Tigers are in a funk—and Wednesday night’s 38th game of the season at Comerica Park only deepened the concern. A 6-2 loss to the Boston Red Sox exposed a team struggling with defensive lapses, a quiet offense, and an emotional hangover from the news of ace Tarik Skubal’s injury.

Let’s start with the elephant in the room: Skubal’s absence. Fans have been vocal about the blow, and the weight of losing a Cy Young-caliber arm is undeniable. Inside the clubhouse, the expectation is to move on, focus on the next pitch. But through this series, the Tigers have looked like a team carrying that weight on their shoulders—and it’s showing in their play.

That said, Wednesday’s loss wasn’t directly Skubal’s fault. Jack Flaherty took the mound and delivered a gritty performance: 10 strikeouts over six innings, allowing just two earned runs. The command wasn’t perfect—too many deep counts and missed spots—but it was a step forward. With the Tigers’ injury list growing, Flaherty’s ability to take the ball every fifth day is crucial. This outing provided a glimmer of hope.

The real trouble was everywhere else.

Offensively, the Tigers had no answer for veteran right-hander Sonny Gray. He mixed speeds, located well, and kept Detroit’s hitters off balance all night. Even when Boston turned to its bullpen, the Tigers couldn’t string together any sustained pressure. The bats went quiet when it mattered most.

But the most frustrating part? The defense. It’s becoming a recurring theme, and not a good one. The Tigers continue to give away outs with sloppy fielding, missed routine plays, and poor execution. Three separate defensive mistakes turned manageable innings into damaging rallies for Boston. One of the lowlights came when a ground ball slipped under Colt Keith’s glove at third base, extending an inning that should have ended. It’s the kind of basic play that winning teams make—and the Tigers aren’t making them right now.

For a team already dealing with injuries and a tough schedule, these self-inflicted wounds are the last thing they need. Whether it’s a mental block or a mechanical issue, the Tigers need to clean things up fast. Because in baseball, good defense isn’t just about saving runs—it’s about building momentum. And right now, this team needs all the momentum it can find.