Detroit — One of the many confounding traits of this Tigers’ team in the first half of the season has been its inability to hit left-handed pitching. Especially with right-handed hitters like Javier Baez, Eric Haase, Miguel Cabrera, Andy Ibanez and others with a history of hitting lefties well.
But here we are.
The Tigers have the seventh-lowest OPS (.697), the ninth-lowest slugging percentage (.391), the sixth-lowest on-base percentage (.306) and the fifth-lowest batting average (.233) against left-handed pitching in baseball.
Their 75 RBI against southpaws are the third-fewest.
“It’s a little surprising,” manager AJ Hinch said. “But, we have a half a year left, so I don’t think it necessarily has to define us. We are not a team that should have such a hard time against left-handed pitching.”
Hinch ticked off a few possible reasons for it: The present roster construction, injuries, key right-handed hitters struggling at a time when they’ve faced a spate of lefties.
“There’s a lot that goes into it,” he said.
Truth is, the Tigers’ right-handed hitters collectively have struggled, regardless of the handedness of the pitcher. They have the third-lowest average (.225), on-base percentage (.287), slugging (.359) and OPS (.646) in baseball.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s right-handed or left-handed,” Baez said. “It’s my approach. It’s something in my timing that’s not letting me get to the point I want where I can stay through the ball and stop pulling off. I just have to keep working.”
Baez is slashing .205/.263/.329 against lefties (.225/.253/.327) against right-handed pitching. Haase is slashing .164/.193/.273 against lefties.
“I still feel very confident with our guys that are going up against lefties,” Hinch said. “But it hasn’t produced the results we are expecting. But there’s a half a year left and there’s no need to dwell on that.
“But, we should be better.”
The Tigers, blanked over 7.1 innings Tuesday by Oakland lefty JP Sears, were expected to face lefty Ken Waldichuk for bulk innings Wednesday and then face lefty starter Hogan Harris Thursday.
“I would say it’s just a freak thing,” said right-handed-hitting outfielder Matt Vierling, who is hitting .232 with a .631 OPS against lefties. “Early on, we faced a lot of really good lefties (Shane MacLanahan, Jeffrey Springs, Framber Valdez) and then we didn’t see a lot of lefties. I think that has a lot to do with it.
“We didn’t see left-handed starters for such a long time. The more you see those guys, the way better you feel against them.”
Athletics at Tigers
First pitch: 1:10 p.m. Thursday, Comerica Park
TV/radio: Bally Sports Detroit, 97.1
Scouting report:
LHP Hogan Harris (2-2, 5.17), Athletics: This will be his fourth actual start. He’s made five other bulk-inning outings out of the bullpen. He’s holding hitters to a .177 batting average with his 92-93 mph four-seam fastball. He throws a hard cutter (90 mph) and he’s getting a 30% whiff rate with his changeup.
RHP Michael Lorenzen (2-6, 4.28), Tigers: The Tigers’ All-Star representative is having a solid season, with a 1.1 WHIP and holding hitters to a .249 average and .298 on-base percentage. He’s been frustrated, though, by the lack of swing-and-miss. His whiff rate is 21%, the lowest of any full season in his career. His 18.6% strikeout rate is the second-lowest of his career. His changeup and sweeper have been his swing-and-miss pitches in the past, and both are generating fewer swinging strikes.
Twitter: @cmccosky