KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Detroit Tigers‘ futility within the Central Division ranks high on the long list of mystifying things about this 2026 season.
Their 3-1 loss to the Kansas City Royals Saturday night, Aug. 22, was their fourth loss in a row and the seventh in their last eight. But on a broader scope, it dropped their division record to 13-24. They are the only team with a sub-.500 inter-divisional record in the Central.
They are also 8-18 in division games decided by two runs or less and 0-9 in road division games decided by two runs or less.
Tigers’ starter Drew Anderson made two mistakes in five innings and both left the yard. Kyle Isbel led off the third inning with a 399-foot homer to right field on a first-pitch four-seamer that Anderson left middle-in.
And Salvador Perez led off the fourth inning with a monstrous, 424-foot blast off the batter’s eye in center on another four-seamer that Anderson put in Perez’s happy zone – up and away.
Anderson started the sixth inning and gave up a leadoff double to Jac Caglianone. That ended his night but that run ended up on his ledger with Tanner Rainey through a two-out wild pitch to Nick Loftin.
It wasn’t much but it was all the Royals needed with veteran right-hander and Tiger-tamer Michael Wacha on the mound.
The Tigers had one hit off Wacha through the first 4.2 innings, a first-inning cue-shot single by Dillon Dingler. But after Spencer Torkelson and Max Clark struck out in the fifth, Wacha’s new nemesis got him again.
On July 25 at Comerica Park, Wacha limited the Tigers to two runs over seven innings. Lee accounted for both runs with a homer and a double.
On Saturday, Lee put the Tigers on the board crushing a Wacha sinker 446 feet, nearly to the waterfalls in left-center field.
It was Lee’s seventh homer and the longest of his short career.
It was also the extent of the Tigers’ damage against Wacha, who again pitched seven strong innings, allowing three hits with six strikeouts. The Tigers had just three at-bats with runners in scoring position.
Former Tiger Alex Lange pitched a clean eighth and handed it over to veteran closer Craig Kimbrel who finished it off and earned his 441st career save.
This will be updated…
@cmccosky
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Tigers’ fourth straight defeat puts focus on their Central issue
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