Detroit Tigers waste incredible comeback in 7-6 loss to Angels in extra innings

The Detroit Tigers couldn’t finish the job.

A throwing error to begin the bottom of the ninth inning led to an unexpected four-run comeback to send the game to extra innings, but the Tigers failed to outscore the Los Angeles Angels in the 10th inning.

The Tigers lost, 7-6, and struck out 18 times Tuesday in the first of three games at Comerica Park.

“We got super competitive at the end,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “I’ve come to expect it with this group. We’re going to play the whole game. It’s a characteristic of this team to play the full 27 (outs) and beyond. I’m glad we got rewarded for some really good at-bats.”

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In the top of the 10th inning, the Tigers (46-55) sent right-handed reliever Alex Lange to the mound. A one-out double from Mickey Moniak scored the free runner in extra innings, putting the Angels ahead 7-6.

Left-handed reliever Aaron Loup sent down the Tigers in order in the bottom of the 10th inning: Javier Báez (groundout) and pinch-hitters Andy Ibáñez (strikeout) and Eric Haase (strikeout).

Haase, rather than Miguel Cabrera, pinch hit for Nick Maton.

“With Miggy, it’s a two-for-one there,” Hinch said. “If I’m going to lose the (designated hitter) by doing a two-for-one, I’ve got to pick and choose. I don’t really want Miggy running the bases. I don’t really want him on defense. He’s not going to play defense, so it made for that order.”

Before the 10th inning, the Tigers put together an incredible comeback against right-handed reliever Carlos Estévez in the bottom of the ninth. It started with Báez getting to first base on a throwing error by second baseman Luis Rengifo.

Maton, who entered as a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning, dropped an elevated fastball into center field for a one-out single. Jake Rogers, the next batter, tagged a middle-middle fastball into center field to score Báez from second base.

His single cut the Tigers’ deficit to 6-3.

Zach McKinstry struck out swinging for the second out, but Riley Greene kept the Tigers alive with an RBI double to the right-field corner. The Tigers — trailing 6-4 — put two runners in scoring position for Spencer Torkelson with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning.

A ground-rule double from Torkelson drove in both runners and tied the game at six runs apiece. He got ahold of a third-pitch 98.1 mph four-seam fastball at the top of the strike zone and sent the ball 402 feet to center field.

It was misplayed by Moniak bounced over the wall.

E-Rod’s final start?

What might have been the last start of left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez’s tenure with the Tigers didn’t go as planned. The trade deadline takes place Aug. 1, and Rodriguez is one of the most coveted pitchers.

The 30-year-old wasn’t at his best in his 15th start of the season.

“The command was all over the place,” Rodriguez said. “The command of all my pitches was off, so I tried to battle. Those days happen, and today was one of them, and I had to battle through it. That’s what really happened.”

Rodriguez, who owns a 2.95 ERA in the best season of his eight-year MLB career, surrendered four runs to the Angels on seven hits and three walks with three strikeouts, throwing 55 of 90 pitches for strikes.

The Angels took advantage of their scoring opportunity in the first inning, when Rengifo and Shohei Ohtani reached safely with a single and a walk to start the game.

Mike Moustakas — serving as the cleanup hitter in his 20th game with the Angels — ripped a one-out double off the wall in right-center field and drove in both runners. Just like that, the Angels took a 2-0 lead.

“I don’t think his command was his best,” Hinch said. “His changeup wasn’t as good as it was last time. It was wipeout last time. … He got punished early by not being able to control the top of the first inning, but then it looked like he settled in, and then he looked like he lost his command again.”

In the fifth inning, the Angels tacked on two more runs for a 4-1 lead behind one double, one walk, two singles and one fielding error.

The inning started with a double from Andrew Velazquez, and just like in the first inning, Rodriguez walked Ohtani to put two runners on base. Taylor Ward delivered a sacrifice fly, making it 3-1.

The Angels went ahead 4-1 when Moustakas hit a two-out single to advance Ohtani to second base, which led to Ohtani stealing third base and scoring on Eduardo Escobar’s ground ball single to left.

“When you had your command that off, you just try to go out there and get big outs,” Rodriguez said. “You try to throw the pitches right where you want and try to make it work. I tried to throw everything where I wanted, but it wasn’t working.”

Rodriguez left the game in the fifth inning with two outs and the bases loaded — a product of Torkelson’s fielding error at first base — but right-handed reliever Beau Brieske picked him up.

Brieske induced an inning-ending force out against Hunter Renfroe.

A couple runs before the ninth

The Tigers scored their first two runs in the fourth and fifth innings.

Right-hander Griffin Canning, making his 16th start for the Angels, allowed two runs on seven hits, throwing 62 of 93 pitches for strikes. He struck out eight batters and didn’t concede a walk.

“He’s got a lot of weapons,” Hinch said. “He’s always been a guy with great stuff, and whether he can corral it inside the strike zone and pitch ahead has been a big key. … He can really use his weapons accordingly when he gets leverage.”

Báez had an RBI single after Matt Vierling’s one-out double in the fourth inning, and Rogers launched a solo home run to begin the fifth inning. Rogers has 12 home runs in 65 games this season.

The Tigers had one walk and 18 strikeouts.

Beating Shreve

The combination of Brieske and Brendan White, a pair of right-handed relievers, worked the Tigers through the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth innings. The two of them allowed just one base runner.

“We were down a couple of guys today,” Hinch said. “I wasn’t going to use (Jason) Foley, I wasn’t going to use (Jose) Cisnero, and I wasn’t going to use (Tyler) Holton until it was an emergency. He was going to pitch the 11th inning had we gotten there, and (Zach) Logue would have been the lone guy down there.”

But left-handed reliever Chasen Shreve — a trade candidate because of his expiring contract — crumbled in the top of the ninth inning.

The Angels scored two runs off Shreve to take a 6-2 lead on Velazquez’s leadoff single, Rengifo’s ensuing RBI triple and Ward’s one-out single. Shreve, though, struck out Ohtani for the first out and got Moustakas to ground into an inning-ending double play.

Shreve has a 4.82 ERA in 37⅓ innings across 42 relief appearances.

Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him on Twitter @EvanPetzold.