Tigers blow late lead in 4-3 loss to Braves as bullpen concerns grow
· Yahoo Sports
The Detroit Tigers dropped a tight one to the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday night, falling 4-3 in a game that felt under control heading into the final inning.
Detroit did enough to win. The back end of the bullpen did not.
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The turning point
Kenley Jansen entered with a chance to lock it down and couldn’t do it. A leadoff walk set the tone, and it unraveled quickly from there. Matt Olson’s two-run shot to right-center ended it, flipping a one-run Tigers lead into a loss.
It’s the third blown save already for Jansen this season, and the trend is hard to ignore. The cutter isn’t as sharp, the velocity isn’t what it was, and the margin for error is gone. When the leadoff man reaches, the inning feels unstable. That’s been consistent.
Skubal did his job
Tarik Skubal gave the Tigers exactly what they needed after a rough first inning. Following a two-run homer by Ozzie Albies, he settled in and dominated.
He worked efficiently, limited traffic, and even struck out the side in the seventh. It was the kind of outing that should translate into a win more often than not.
Offense did enough
Detroit chipped away after falling behind early. They tied it and briefly took control, including capitalizing on a Braves error to manufacture a run. Against a strong Atlanta pitching staff, three runs and late leverage is usually enough.
On this night, it wasn’t.
Bigger issue: the bullpen
This wasn’t about missed opportunities early or lack of offense. The game was set up exactly how you want it. Lead late, hand it to your closer, finish it.
That’s now the problem.
Outside of Kyle Finnegan, there isn’t a reliever consistently inspiring confidence right now. Jansen’s struggles are front and center, but the inconsistency runs deeper. Detroit has now dropped multiple games on this road trip in nearly identical fashion.
Why it matters
The Tigers are now 1-4 on the trip and easily could be 3-2. Two late-inning collapses have flipped the narrative.
This isn’t about April panic. It’s about a pattern that can sink a season if it doesn’t get addressed. Teams don’t win games through six or seven innings. They win them in the ninth.
Right now, Detroit isn’t doing that.
Bottom line
This was a competitive game between two good teams. The difference came down to one role, one inning, and one pitch.
And until the Tigers stabilize the back end of the bullpen, games like this are going to keep happening.