Tigers Break Drought

McGonigle's Ninth-Inning Heroics Seal the Comeback

The Tigers trailed 4-1 heading into the seventh inning. Wenceel Pérez tripled home two runs to cut the lead to 4-3. In the ninth, Mariners closer Andrés Muñoz walked Zach McKinstry and then Pérez before McGonigle lined a single off the glove of second baseman Cole Young. Pérez scored the winning run, per Island Packet.

McGonigle, a 21-year-old rookie, also hit a 420-foot solo home run in the fourth inning. He finished 2-for-5 on the day. The young infielder is batting .288 with a .797 OPS through his first 60 games this season. He signed a nine-year, $150 million extension before his debut, according to Fresno Bee.

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A Miserable May Left Detroit with a Steep Hill to Climb

The Tigers entered 2026 with high hopes after an 87-75 record and a playoff berth in 2025. But May was brutal. The team lost seven of eight games during one stretch and dropped to 23-38. Four straight home series losses became a symbol of the club's struggles, per Modesto Bee.

The biggest blow was losing ace Tarik Skubal to an elbow injury on April 29. The two-time Cy Young winner had a procedure on May 6 to remove a loose body from his throwing elbow. On Sunday, Skubal threw five innings for Single-A West Michigan — 44 of 54 pitches for strikes — and the Tigers expect him back by late June, according to Bellingham Herald.

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Mariners Bullpen Squanders Another Quality Start

Seattle starter Luis Castillo gave his team a solid outing, pitching 5.2 innings of one-run ball. The Mariners held a 4-1 lead heading into the late innings. But Muñoz, a key All-Star closer, lost command in the ninth. He walked two batters before giving up the winning hit, falling to 3-4 on the season, per The Kansas City Star.

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Tigers Must Win 60% of Games to Chase Wild Card

Manager AJ Hinch was blunt about what it will take. "We have to win upwards of 60% of our games from here on out to get back into serious contention," he said. "This series is a start," according to The News Tribune. Detroit has now won five of its last six, a pace that gives the front office some reason for cautious optimism.

The 5.5-game Wild Card gap is considered bridgeable if the Tigers keep this pace. Skubal's expected return in late June could sharpen a rotation that has struggled without him. For now, the team is leaning on McGonigle, whose .450 batting average in ninth-inning situations this season has proven he can handle the pressure, per Fresno Bee.

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