Tigers eager to find offense in encounter vs. Guardians

Every baseball team seems lifeless when it isn't scoring.

That's the dilemma the Detroit Tigers are facing now.

The Tigers have been slumping mainly due to a punchless attack. Entering the third contest of a four-game home series against the Cleveland Guardians on Wednesday night, Detroit has just 18 runs in its last eight games and has lost seven of those eight.

Just four position players on the active roster are hitting above .220.

"The lack-of-energy thought is just a comforting feeling for those that want to see it that way," Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. "There's not a lot of action, not a lot of running and sliding and scoring, not a lot of high-fiving.

"That doesn't mean there's a lack of energy. That means there's a lack of production. There's a big difference between there being this like lull and misery and pouting and all the things that come along with what people want to see as a lack of energy when in reality it's a lack of production."

Pitching injuries also have contributed to the Tigers' woes. They'll employ another bullpen game on Wednesday.

It's unknown which pltchers that Hinch has lined up to get through nine innings, though one likely will be Drew Anderson (1-1, 4.67 ERA). The veteran right-hander hasn't pitched since Friday, when he tossed four innings of scoreless relief in his team's 3-2 victory over Toronto.

Detroit has dropped 12 of its last 14 games, including four in a row and the first two games of this series. After falling 8-2 on Monday, the Tigers lost 4-3 on Tuesday. It was a maddening outcome, as Detroit left five runners on base in the last two innings.

The Guardians, meanwhile, have won four straight games and seven of their last eight.

Cleveland's starter on Wednesday, right-hander Tanner Bibee (0-6, 4.15 ERA), has pitched better than his record suggests. He's given up three or fewer runs in five of his last six starts.

On May 9, Bibee held Minnesota to one solo homer while striking out nine in six innings and wound up with a no-decision in Cleveland's 2-1 loss in 11 innings. In his last outing on Friday, Bibee allowed three runs and seven hits in 6 1/3 innings in a 7-6 defeat against Cincinnati. It was his longest outing of the season.

"That's a good positive after that outing," Bibee said. "It definitely was a grindy one, especially after that second inning. Definitely a good positive there."

The Reds scored two runs in the second inning. Bibee then settled in.

"They strung some hits together there in the second, but he limited damage," Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said. "I thought Tanner threw outstanding. Six and two-thirds, three runs. That's enough to help us win. He did his job (Friday)."

The Guardians have lost the last nine games that Bibee has started, but a lack of run support is a major factor. They have two or fewer runs in seven of those outings.

Detroit center fielder Matt Vierling has homered off Bibee twice in the past two seasons.

Bibee is 4-3 with a 3.62 ERA in nine career outings against the Tigers.

--Field Level Media