The quest of the Detroit Tigers to earn a third straight trip to the MLB postseason took a blow in their recently completed home series against the divisional rival Chicago White Sox, who took all three games against them at Comerica Park.
The Tigers raced out to a three-run lead, only to see Chicago mount a comeback and take Sunday’s finale by a 7-5 final score, dropping the Tigers to 60-64 and increasing their lead over them in the division by 5.5 games.
It was Chicago’s Munetaka Murakami who hit the go-ahead home run for the visiting White Sox, helping them erase what was an early deficit.
Meanwhile, Tigers skipper AJ Hinch knows that his club didn’t do itself any favors by dropping the series against Chicago.
Detroit Tigers Manager AJ Hinch Speaks Honestly After Sweep By Division Rival White Sox
Afterward, Tigers manager AJ Hinch admitted that it “sucks” that his club dropped all three games against the visiting White Sox.
“It’s a missed opportunity because you play these games where you go one way or the other and we went the wrong direction, and now our path is a little harder. But it’s still there,” said Hinch.. “We’re still in the mix. In this sport, if you ride that emotional roller coaster it’s hard to get to 162, man. You gotta have some toughness to you when things like this happen.
“I know it sucks. It sucks for everybody. It doesn’t help us beat Pittsburgh, though.”
However, he’s already looking ahead for when the Tigers can exact some revenge against the White Sox.
“If you follow the sport, you can see that they’ve been doing that really all year,” said Hinch. “They play in a ballpark where they built their team to have some power, and they have different ways to score. They’re a very good team, and their record reflects it. Where they’re at right now with a month and a half to go is well-earned, and we’re going to get four more cracks at them.”
Starting on September 17, the Tigers will battle the White Sox four times on the South Side of the Windy City.
The Tigers Know They Must Turn The Page
There is still a pathway for the Tigers to make a third straight trip to the MLB postseason, but their margin for error shrinks with every setback.
For Dillon Dingler, he gave props to the White Sox for their performance but also noted that neither he nor his teammates were going to spend any time dwelling on their weekend setbacks.
“You gotta give these guys credit,” Dingler said. “They swung it. They have one of the best offenses in the game.”
“This team doesn’t dwell on bad losses or bad series,” he continued. “This team turns the page. It’s just the vibe or the spirit of the team. We love moving forward.”
During the contest, Dingler broke what was an 0-for-28 streak with an RBI double in the seventh inning.
He and the Tigers will now prepare to face the Pittsburgh Pirates on the road for a three-game set.
AJ Hinch Gets Brutally Honest After Tigers Get Swept By White Sox