This Tigers Streak Has Only Marginally Helped Detroit’s Playoff Case
This Tigers Streak Has Only Marginally Helped Detroit’s Playoff Case
The Detroit Tigers entered Tuesday’s game having tied a team record streak that hasn’t helped them as much as one might thing.Matt Postins|
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Detroit TigersThe Detroit Tigers entered the season with a largesse of starting pitching. That perception has been tested.
Tarik Skubal has missed time. Justin Verlander has missed time. Jack Flaherty has missed time. Casey Mize has missed time. The only member of the projected five-man rotation who has made every turn so far this season is Framber Valdez. It has deeply impacted the Tigers’ ability to win games. But there’s a streak that makes it seem like the starters have affected winning more often.
Per Tigers PR, Detroit starting pitchers had allowed four or fewer earned runs in 33 straight games going into Tuesday’s game with the New York Yankees. That was tied for the longest streak in team history. But it hasn’t mattered nearly as much as hoped.
The Tigers Streak That May Not Matter
Last night's outing by Casey Mize was unlike any other in franchise history.
— Tigers PR (@DetroitTigersPR) June 30, 2026
Across 126 years of Tigers baseball, he's the first pitcher to throw 7+ shutout innings with 10+ strikeouts, while allowing zero walks and no more than one hit. #DNMW pic.twitter.com/7WDTi3G7LX
The streak started on May 24 in a doubleheader in Baltimore. It wasn’t a planned doubleheader. One of the games was rained out the day before and was hastily rescheduled so that they could complete the series. Detroit was also riding a seven-game losing streak. It grew to eight with the loss in the early game and was snapped in the late game.
After that doubleheader the Tigers were 21-33 and 10.5 games out of first place in the AL Central.
Entering Tuesday’s game with the Yankees the Tigers were 36-49 and nine games out of first place in the AL Central.
So, even though the starting pitching has done a solid job it has only trimmed the Tigers’ deficit in the division by 1.5 games. Plus, the record during that stretch is 16-17. So, what gives?
A good place to start — and finish — is to look at how many games the projected opening day rotation has won in that stretch. That would be four games. Valdez has won two games, Flaherty one game and Mize one game. Mize's win was the most recent game on Monday, and it required him to do something no pitcher in Tigers history has ever done. He became the first pitcher to throw seven or more shutout innings with 10 or more strikeouts, while allowing zero walks and no more than one hit.
That is the needle that Tigers pitching is having thread right now as the offense continues to have fits and starts. Tigers starters — including stop-gap starters like Troy Melton and Keider Montero — are keeping Detroit in games, but the offense isn’t doing enough to capitalize. Plus, the three-headed closer hasn’t been firing well, either.
When the epitaph of this season is written, Tigers fans should be kind to the starting pitching. It’s done the job, especially the last 33 games.
Published 10 minutes ago
MATT POSTINSMatthew Postins is an award-winning sports journalist who covers Major League Baseball for OnSI. He also covers the Big 12 Conference for Heartland College Sports.
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Cubs vs. Padres Lineup: Kevin Alcántara Returns – Can He Finally Get It Going?
Cubs vs. Padres Lineup: Kevin Alcántara Returns – Can He Finally Get It Going?
The speedy young outfielder is getting another shot in the big leagues. Zoe Grossman|
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Chicago CubsSan Diego PadresThe Chicago Cubs are looking to notch their third consecutive series win and fifth in their last six in Game 2 against the San Diego Padres on Tuesday evening. The vibes will be high after Monday's 3-2 walk-off win, and the Cubs are shuffling the batting order around ever so slightly.
It's going to be a hot, humid, and windy one in Chicago, with the wind blowing out to center field at 14 mph and gusts of up to 28 mph.
Game Info
Who: San Diego Padres (43-40) at Chicago Cubs (47-38)
Where: Wrigley Field
When: 7:05 p.m. CT
Watch: Marquee Sports Network
Listen: 104.3 The Score, Univision TUDN, WPPN 106.7 / TUDN
Chicago Cubs Lineup
1. Pete Crow-Armstrong, CF
2. Alex Bregman, 3B
3. Seiya Suzuki, DH
4. Carson Kelly, C
5. Michael Busch, 1B
6. Nico Hoerner, 2B
7. Ian Happ, LF
8. Dansby Swanson, SS
9. Kevin Alcántara, RF
Suzuki moves up to the three-hole after his walk-off single Monday, and the struggling Busch moves down from third to fifth.
After Matt Shaw landed on the IL (wrist) on Monday, the Cubs recalled Alcántara from Triple-A Iowa. It will mark the 23-year-old's second MLB stint in 2026 after he appeared in 12 games from May 23 to June 7.
While Alcántara rakes in Triple-A — he's hitting .273 with 17 home runs and a .936 OPS this season — the Dominican Republic native has struggled to adjust to MLB pitching since his debut in 2024. In 25 career MLB games, he is just 6-for-30 (.200) with one RBI, two walks, one stolen base, and nine strikeouts. In 2026, he is 1-for-9 with a walk and four strikeouts.
Alcántara is often used for his speed on the basepaths, but it was notably a costly baserunning mistake against the San Francisco Giants on June 7 that led to his subsequent demotion last time around.
This stint feels a lot like a make-or-break moment for him. With the Cubs now playing better baseball, it will be crucial for Alcántara to try to feed off the Cubs' contagious hitting and get an offensive streak going for the first time in his MLB career.
San Diego Padres Lineup
1. Fernando Tatis Jr., 2B
2. Samad Taylor, LF
3. Manny Machado, 3B
4. Miguel Andujar, DH
5. Ty France, 1B
6. Jackson Merrill, CF
7. Xander Bogaerts, SS
8. Jase Bowen, RF
9. Freddy Fermin, C
San Diego is, expectedly, going righty-heavy against Matthew Boyd. Merrill is the only left-handed hitter in manager Craig Stammen's lineup. The 23-year-old has been a dangerous hitter in the past, but his third MLB season has seen him put up the worst numbers of his young career, hitting just .213 with a .617 OPS in 80 games so far.
Machado has the most sustained success against Boyd in his career (8-for-16, three RBI, 1.221 OPS) and is likely to pose the biggest threat in the Padres' lineup against the southpaw.
On the Mound...
Chicago Cubs - Matthew Boyd, LHP (2-1, 5.02 ERA)
Boyd is making his second start since returning from the IL (knee) on June 25.
He faced the New York Mets in his first start back and turned in 4.2 scoreless innings while allowing four hits, striking out four, and walking four.
Boyd only threw 76 pitches in Queens, but expect him to go much deeper this time around now that he's a bit more stretched out. He did, however, struggle against the Padres on the road in April — Boyd lasted just four innings after allowing five earned runs on eight hits in the Cubs' 9-7 loss.
The Padres' bats have cooled off a lot since then, though. At the time, they were 19-9 and one of the best offensive teams in the early season. They have since gone 24-31, and their team batting average of .222 is baseball's worst entering Tuesday. They'll see a southpaw for the second game in a row after Shota Imanaga threw 6.1 innings of two-run ball in Monday's win.
San Diego Padres - J.P. Sears, LHP (1-0, 3.18 ERA)
Sears is making just his second start of the 2026 season after spending the first three months of the season with Triple-A El Paso. He was solid against the Atlanta Braves last time out, striking out five over 5.2 innings and allowing just two earned runs.
Only two Cubs hitters — Bregman and Kelly — have ever faced Sears, but each has seen success. Bregman has a career .350 average and a 1.159 OPS in 20 at-bats against the righty with two home runs and five RBI. Kelly has faced Sears twice and has gotten a hit both times.
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Published 1 hour ago
ZOE GROSSMANI am a sports journalist and content producer born and raised on Chicago's North Side. I graduated from the University of Denver in 2022 with a Bachelor's degree in Media Studies and from Northwestern University in 2024 with a Master's degree in Journalism. As a student, I earned bylines in USA TODAY and FanSided and covered a wide range of sporting events, including Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas and the NBA Draft Combine. I previously covered the Chicago Cubs as a beat writer and digital content producer at Marquee Sports Network during the 2025 season. I also assisted in coverage of the Bears, Sky, Fire and Stars. I most recently covered the 2026 Winter Olympics with NBC Sports, where I wrote about bobsled, luge and skeleton for NBCOlympics.com. When I'm not writing, I love to play my guitar (I'm a lefty!), find the best cold brew coffee in the city and watch my beloved Chicago sports teams on TV.
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Willson Contreras breaks down in tears after home run, gets ejected the next inning
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Willson Contreras argues with an umpire after getting ejecting in the second inning against the Washington Nationals at Fenway Park. Jaiden Tripi / Getty Images
By Jen McCaffreyJune 29, 2026 Updated 11:21 pm EDTBOSTON — In the span of two innings, Willson Contreras hit a monstrous three-run homer for the Boston Red Sox, broke down in tears in the dugout with his native Venezuela on his mind, and then was ejected the following inning after striking out for tapping his helmet.
Throughout his career, Contreras has played with emotion.
But this past week has been particularly tough for Contreras, who’s been raising money for Venezuelan earthquake victims and speaking passionately about his home country. Contreras has the letters “VZ” embroidered on his hat, as do fellow Venezuelan teammates Wilyer Abreu, Carlos Narváez and Ranger Suarez, who started Monday’s game. The Red Sox have five Venezuelans on their roster, including utility man Andruw Monasterio.
“He’s going through a lot,” interim manager Chad Tracy said of Contreras. “They all are.”
Venezuela was hit by 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes on Wednesday. The death toll released by the Venezuelan government is over 1,700 and is expected to rise.
With the Red Sox trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the first, Contreras crushed a 421-foot homer over the wall in left field at Fenway Park to take the lead. He threw his bat with force and screamed “Venezuela” as he ran to first base.
“I think it’s just the emotional part of Venezuela that got to me, got the best out of me,” Contreras said after a 6-3 win over the Washington Nationals, a season-high fifth win in a row for the Red Sox. “I wasn’t feeling good the whole day, I was kind of down, sad and I hit a homer, of course. I tried to help my dugout, but the first thing that I said was it’s for Venezuela. Of course, I’m helping the team to win, and it’s good, but I think every homer from now on is going to be for the Red Sox and for Venezuela.”
Willson Contreras OVER THE MONSTER 😤 pic.twitter.com/Dn4xtRUEOD
— MLB (@MLB) June 29, 2026
Back in the dugout, Contreras sat on the bench and broke down, his head in his hands. Abreu and Narváez came over to hug him, as did interim manager Chad Tracy.
Willson Contreras was emotional after his HR 💛 pic.twitter.com/kLHDWqf9hZ
— NESN (@NESN) June 29, 2026
But in the bottom of the second, Contreras came to the plate again, this time striking out on a check swing. Frustrated by the call, he tapped the top of his helmet as if to sarcastically challenge it as he walked back to the dugout.
First base umpire Nic Lentz seemed to take exception to the gesture and ejected Contreras. Tracy ran out for an explanation before Contreras joined him, but Lentz didn’t relent.
“Willson tapped his helmet as a gesture, like, “Hey, can we check?” you know, jokingly check the check swing, which we know you can’t,” Tracy said. “So (Lentz) felt like he showed him up and threw him out of the game. I didn’t even know until I got out there kind of what was going on.”
Lentz offered his own explanation through a pool reporter.
“I called him out on appeal for the check swing, and as he was walking back to the dugout, he started gesturing, tapping his helmet, like he wanted to challenge something that is not a challengeable call,” Lentz said. “And so, disrespect, and again gesturing towards what he thought was an incorrect call, got him removed from the game.”
Lentz said it’s an automatic ejection if an umpire deems a player is mocking him.
“Correct,” he said. “It’s a lot like drawing a line in the dirt.”
Contreras was surprised by the ejection given he felt he has a good relationship with Lentz.
“Man, kind of surprising,” Contreras said. “Nick and I have a really good relationship. We had a really good talk right before the game. He also mentioned Venezuela, which is good for him to know about it. I think it kind of surprised me because I never made eye contact with him.”
Contreras said he wasn’t tapping his head in reference to Lentz.
“I was like, yeah, I didn’t make eye contact with you, I didn’t argue, I didn’t yell, I didn’t do nothing wrong,” Contreras said. “He told me, yeah, but I have to throw you out. I was like, you didn’t have to, but you made that choice. That’s it.”
Willson Contreras was tossed by 1B Ump Nic Lentz for tapping his helmet walking back to the dugout. Absolutely insane. What a power trip. pic.twitter.com/kgRgUsU532
— Tyler Milliken (@tylermilliken_) June 29, 2026
Willson Contreras with one of the weirdest ejections I've ever seen. He even came back on the field and had a full conversation about it. pic.twitter.com/xIDasGlSRL
— Tyler Milliken (@tylermilliken_) June 29, 2026
Monasterio replaced Contreras at first base.
On Saturday night after another big home run, Contreras spoke at length about the tragedies in Venezuela.
“It’s tough, it’s tough, it’s really tough to see what’s going on in Venezuela,” he said. “On January 3, we had some good news with the USA getting to Venezuela and taking some people out. That was kind of a little bit of happiness for the Venezuelan people, and then we won the WBC, which was the biggest happiness for Venezuela. And now we got hit with two earthquakes — with two earthquakes and more than 1,000 deaths. Probably more than that. I don’t know. It’s really sad to live through this.
“It’s really hard to separate or fake that we are (feeling) good just because we have to work. I mean, we’re professional. We have to show up and work. But it’s really tough when you know what’s going on in Venezuela, you’re here playing for your team, trying to win the game, trying to perform, and at the same time, trying to seek ways to help. I wish I could be there, to be honest, to find people. That’s where my heart was.”
Contreras has been using his Instagram account to do what he can from afar.
“We are getting together donations and things that we can ship to Venezuela, and we have some types of groups helping in Venezuela, and now (the country is) denying the access to those people that want to help because they’re not part of the government,” he said. “So that’s how tough the Venezuelan situation is.”
Over the weekend, Hall of Famer David Ortiz, a native of the Dominican Republic, joined Contreras, Narváez and Abreu on Jersey Street to collect donations for Venezuela earthquake victims through the Red Sox Foundation’s Venezuelan Earthquake Disaster Relief Efforts fund.
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