Detroit Tigers: Kerry Carpenter’s impact. What about lefties?
On “Days of Roar,” Evan Petzold and Chris Castellani debate if Detroit Tigers slugger Kerry Carpenter needs more at-bats vs. left-handed pitchers.
Jack Flaherty dominated.
It was his best start of the 2025 season.
The Detroit Tigers need Flaherty to begin pitching like a No. 2 starter before it’s too late to count on him in the biggest games, but as the postseason approaches, the highest-paid pitcher on their roster has experienced too many bad starts.
Flaherty took a key step in the right direction, leading the Tigers to a 10-0 win over the Houston Astros on Monday, Aug. 18, at Comerica Park. The offense supported Flaherty by scoring all 10 runs in a four-inning stretch, powered by four home runs.
The 29-year-old fired seven scoreless innings — his first time completing seven innings in his two-year career with the Tigers, spanning 43 starts. Facing the Astros, he allowed three hits and one walk with nine strikeouts.
Flaherty threw 60 of 90 pitches for strikes.
The Tigers (74-53) won the first of three games to open the series against the Astros.
Flaherty dealt with the most stress in the first inning, as the Astros loaded the bases on Carlos Correa’s double, Jose Altuve’s single and Christian Walker’s walk. With two outs, Victor Caratini lined out to end the inning.
That’s how Flaherty stranded the bases loaded and then he cruised through the final six innings.
The Astros put two runners on base the rest of the way against Flaherty: Jacob Melton’s hit-by-pitch in the second inning and Walker’s single in the fourth inning.
Flaherty retired the final 11 batters. He generated 11 whiffs on 36 swings for a 30.6% whiff rate: two fastballs, six curveballs and three sliders. For the second start in a row, he didn’t throw any sinkers or changeup, which he already used sparingly.
He owns a 4.51 ERA in 25 starts.
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Offense explodes
The Tigers didn’t score until the fifth inning.
Once that happened, the flood gates opened for the Tigers’ offense to put up double-digit runs, thanks to home runs from Wenceel Pérez, Riley Greene, Trey Sweeney and Colt Keith.
The Tigers took a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning when Pérez hit a middle-middle cutter from right-hander Spencer Arrighetti. Pérez battled for 10 pitches, swinging at all seven pitches in the strike zone and refusing to swing at all three pitches out of the zone.
An incredible plate appearance led to an incredible result.
The Tigers’ offense kept its foot on the gas, scoring four runs in the fifth inning, one run in the sixth inning and four runs in the seventh inning.
In the fifth, Kerry Carpenter drove in two runs on a triple, followed by Riley Greene’s two-run home run — taking a 5-0 lead. In the sixth, Keith provided a sacrifice fly after Sweeney’s triple for a 6-0 lead. In the seventh, Sweeney hit a three-run home run and Keith hit a solo home run — taking a 10-0 lead.
Greene has 29 home runs in 123 games.
Alex Lange appears
Right-handed reliever Alex Lange entered in the ninth inning, protecting a 10-run lead. The 29-year-old made his first appearance for the Tigers in 453 days, dating back to May 22, 2024.
Before Monday’s game, the Tigers activated Lange from the injured list following his 14-month recovery from right lat surgery, which he underwent in June 2024.
He completed a scoreless ninth inning.
In the ninth, Lange gave up a single to Ramón Urías, a walk to Jesús Sánchez and a single to Walker, loaded the bases with one out. He bounced back to end the game, as Caratini struck out swinging and Yanier Diaz flew out.
Lange threw 13 of 20 pitches for strikes.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
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