Tigers' tailspin continues with 10-1 loss against Braves in series opener

Chris McCosky, The Detroit News on Sep 19, 2025

Published in Baseball

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DETROIT — If what the Tigers experienced Friday night, especially in the first two innings, wasn’t rock bottom, nobody wants to see what lies beneath.

The Tigers endured their fourth consecutive loss, seventh in their last eight games and 16th in their last 23. And this one was in the no-compete category, beaten by the Atlanta Braves, a talented but underachieving team this season, 10-1, before an aggravated crowd of 33,554 at Comerica Park.

Their lead in the Central Division, fast slipping away, was at 3.5 games entering play with second-place Cleveland playing at Minnesota.

The Tigers took a standing-eight count before they even had a chance to bat.

The first five Braves hitters reached against veteran Charlie Morton and when he walked Drake Baldwin with the bases loaded, the boo-birds started howling.

It only got uglier as Morton couldn’t get through the second inning with the Tigers in an early 6-0 hole.

He gave up a two-run single to Ozzie Albies in the first inning and an RBI double to Matt Olson and a two-run homer to Ronald Acuna Jr. in the second.

Morton, 41, retired only four of the 12 batters he faced. In his last five starts, he’s been tagged for 22 runs in 17 innings.

It is conceivable this will be his final start with the Tigers. He wouldn’t be able to pitch for at least five days and might have one more start left before the end of the regular season.

The Tigers could use the roster spot for another reliever.

But those decisions will be made on another day.

In the meantime, right-hander Chris Paddack provided a life-raft for the Tigers’ bullpen. He ate up five innings, the only damage a two-run homer by Ha-Seong Kim.

Right-hander Paul Sewald, activated off the injured list Thursday, made his Tigers debut, yielding a two-run homer to Baldwin and he was unable to finish the ninth inning. He was at 28 pitches after walking Albies with two outs.

Manager AJ Hinch used infielder Zach McKinstry to get the final out. More or less the final indignity on this night.

A six-run hole is the last thing the Tigers’ sputtering offense needed. They managed one run in the previous 18 innings against the Guardians and couldn’t generate much push-back against Braves veteran right-hander Bryce Elder, who came in with a 5.56 ERA.

Spencer Torkelson’s 30th home run, a solo shot in the fourth, was the only marker.