Tigers blanked by Rangers in first game after All-Star break

Chris McCosky, The Detroit News on Jul 18, 2025

Published in Baseball

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ARLINGTON, Texas — After all the runs that were scored in a messy three-game series at Comerica Park before the All-Star break (49), a good, old pitchers' duel felt refreshing.

Tense, but refreshing. Though it did not end well for the Tigers.

The Texas Rangers broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the eighth inning and handed the Tigers their season-high fifth consecutive loss, 2-0, at Globe Life Field.

And for the third game in a row, right-hander Tommy Kahnle got clipped.

With two on and two outs, Corey Seager lashed a two-run double into the right-cente-rfield gap, scoring Kyle Higashioka who doubled with one out and Josh Smith, who walked with two outs.

The Tigers mustered three hits in the game, none after the fifth inning, which spoiled some sterling pitching performances.

Reese Olson came out of the break looking as crisp and sharp as he has at any point this season.

He blew through the first five innings, allowing only one controversial single and a walk.

The single was by Higashioka with one out in the third. Left fielder Riley Greene dived and thought he caught ball before it hit the ground. The third base umpire Carlos Torres ruled the ball hit the ground.

After a length replay review — though several angles seemed to show the ball hit the webbing of Greene’s glove first — the call was upheld.

Catcher Jonah Heim followed, hitting a hard ground ball that shortstop Javier Baez fielded in front of second base. He elected to chase down Higashioka between first and second. Higashioka eluded the tag and Baez hurriedly threw wildly past first baseman Spencer Torkelson.

Instead of an inning-ending double play, or at worst a runner at first and two outs, the Rangers had runners at the corners and one out.

Baez and manager AJ Hinch argued, to no avail, that Higashioka eluded Baez by going outside the baseline. Which, again, replays seemed to show that he did.

Olson didn’t buckle. He got Smith to fly out to shallow left and struck out Seager to end the inning.

Olson set down eight straight hitters through the fifth (racking up six strikeouts) before yielding a lead-off double to Heim in the sixth.

Hinch brought in Tyler Holton and he kept Olson’s ledger clean.

After Smith bunted Heim to third, Holton struck out Seager and got Marcus Semien to fly out to center — preserving the 0-0 game.

Holton got the first two outs in the seventh then gave way to righty side-armer Chase Lee, who punched out right-handed hitting Wyatt Langford.

But it was all zeroes on the top line of the line score, too.

The Tigers have handled left-handed starters well this season. Their .720 winning percentage (18-7) was best in the big league at the All-Star break.

Rangers’ veteran lefty Patrick Corbin didn’t care anything about that. He blanked the Tigers for 5 2/3 innings, allowing three singles with six strikeouts.

A walk and a single by Baez got him in a little trouble in the fifth, but Torres’ line drive in the gap ended up in center fielder Evan Carter’s glove for the third out.

Right-handed reliever Shawn Armstrong getting four outs and Chris Martin pitched a scoreless eighth.

Lefty Robert Garcia closed it out.