Tigers vs White Sox Recap Sept 5 2025
🐯 Tigers vs. White Sox Recap: Detroit Falls 7–5 in Wild, Weird Finish (Sept. 5, 2025)
The Detroit Tigers’ September playoff push took another twist Friday night at Comerica Park. With an 8.5 game lead, things are somewhat comfortable, even though they fell 7–5 to the Chicago White Sox in a game that had a little bit of everything: clutch homers, bullpen drama, and even one of the strangest scoring plays you’ll see all year.
It was a night where the energy was high, the crowd stayed loud, and yet again the Tigers left too many opportunities begging. If you were in the stands, you saw a contender trying to take the next step — and also the flaws that could hold Detroit back down the stretch.
Meadows’ Return Sparks Early Buzz
The loudest cheer of the evening came early, when rookie Parker Meadows, just back from the injured list, blasted a towering two-run homer in his first at-bat. The shot into the right-field seats set the tone and reminded fans what his mix of speed, defense, and power brings to the lineup.
Meadows later showed off his glove, running down a deep drive in left-center. His performance suggested he could again be an everyday spark at the top of the order, just when Detroit needs it most.
Chaos on the Basepaths: Two Runs, One Wild Pitch
Baseball has its quirks, but few match the chaos of the fourth inning. With runners on second and third, White Sox rookie Shane Smith threw a wild pitch that slipped past catcher Kyle Teel. Both runners raced home, and after a hectic scramble, they each crossed the plate. Both Teel and Smith looked like Apollo Creed and Rocky Balboa in Rocky II, where both go down for the count. It was a wild sequence of events that helped the Tigers.
It marked the first time since April 2010 that the Tigers had scored multiple runs on a single wild pitch — the kind of bizarre break that will show up on season highlight reels. The moment gave Detroit a temporary lead but also underscored a problem: the offense was still struggling to bring runners home with hits.
Torkelson Delivers, Then the Bullpen Breaks
By the eighth inning, Comerica was rocking again when Spencer Torkelson ripped a run-scoring double to put Detroit up 5–4. The slugger has been one of the team’s most consistent producers, and it felt like his hit might finally tilt the game.
Instead, the Tigers’ bullpen cracked. With closer Kyle Finnegan on the injured list, manager A.J. Hinch turned to Will Vest and Rafael Montero for late innings. Both were touched up — Vest allowed the tying run, and Montero surrendered a decisive two-run homer to rookie Colson Montgomery.
Chicago’s rookie infielder was the star of the night, driving in four runs and looking every bit like a future cornerstone.
Flaherty Steady but Not Sharp Enough
Starter Jack Flaherty gave Detroit six innings, scattering seven hits and battling through traffic. He managed to limit the damage, but it wasn’t quite enough.
“I think that’s what it’s supposed to look like,” Flaherty said earlier in the week about finding his mechanics, according to Reuters. On Friday, his outing was competitive but lacked the dominance the Tigers were hoping for.
Hinch has praised Flaherty’s conviction in recent weeks, but the rotation needs more length and efficiency down the stretch if Detroit is to overcome its bullpen issues. Flaherty continues to display a Jekyll and Hyde persona, and frankly, it’s been more Hyde lately. He needs to find his command early, which normally sets the stage for a decent outing. What we’re looking for, Jack, is some consistency!
The Bigger Picture
Detroit went 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position. That’s the stat that has defined September so far. The Tigers are finding ways to score — sometimes via home runs, sometimes via chaos — but not nearly enough through crisp, situational hitting.
The White Sox, meanwhile, played the spoiler role perfectly. They scored in six of the first seven innings, forcing constant pressure on Detroit pitchers. Even as a team out of the race, Chicago looked loose, opportunistic, and dangerous.
For the Tigers, there are positives: Meadows’ return strengthens the lineup, and Torkelson continues to look like a leader. But without Finnegan anchoring the ninth, every narrow lead is precarious. Detroit has to turn offensive chances into runs if it wants to stay in the playoff picture.
What’s Next
Detroit sends ace Tarik Skubal to the mound Saturday night against veteran Martin Pérez. Skubal has been the stopper all season and will be asked to play that role again.
Detroit looks to take the next two games to win the series. On a positive note, the Tigers’ magic number is down to 13 with exactly 20 games left to play.
