AJ Hinch's Detroit Tigers have struggled since the MLB All-Star break, though they have seen promising signs in recent days. Unfortunately, they got an uncharacteristically brutal start from Tarik Skubal on Friday. It seemed as if they were on the cusp of a series-opening loss to the Los Angeles Angels. That is, until Matt Vierling stepped to the plate in the eighth inning.
Vierling has struggled through the 2025 MLB season. However, he had two runners on while down by two in the bottom of the eighth. He received a pitch high in the strike zone. And he certainly didn't miss, swatting his first home run of the season.
MATTY V pic.twitter.com/iaTnwqrdXc
— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) August 9, 2025
It was a huge hit for a Detroit team that has been looking for such a swing. After the game, Hinch spoke with reporters about his team's huge win. And he took time to detail how his offense approaches the game when they step into the batter's box.
“When we're good, it's him tonight, it's somebody different tomorrow, somebody different the third game — and we look up and we win a lot of series. That's how our offense functions,” the Tigers manager said, via Evan Petzold of The Detroit Free Press.
Tigers win despite Tarik Skubal's struggles
Detroit's win is especially huge considering how the game started. Defending Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal took to the mound on Friday night. But he was not his usual dominant self. In fact, he didn't get out of the fifth inning against the Angels.
In the second inning, Logan O'Hoppe hit a double to drive home a run with two outs. Skubal held the lineup quiet until the fifth inning. This is when he gave up back-to-back home runs to give Los Angeles a 4-3 lead. The Angels would add another run before Vierling's three-run shot gave Detroit its 67th win of the season.
Detroit definitely isn't worried about its ace's performance. However, it was certainly an uncharacteristic stumble against the Angels. The Tigers will go for their second-straight win and a series win on Saturday night.
