Jack Flaherty was traded at the trade deadline last year. This time, he is better prepared mentally for the possibilities. Flaherty, who will start for the Tigers against the visiting Cleveland Guardians on Monday night in the first game of a two-game series, is one of the most sought-after names on the trade market after emerging as Detroit’s No. 2 starter behind ace Tarik Skubal. “Just the experience (from last year), going through it one time, hearing your name getting thrown around in a bunch of scenarios,” Mr. Flaherty said. “I’m just in a better mental state than I was last year. I’ve gotten better at taking each day as it comes and focusing on trying to win games.” Last season, the St. Louis Cardinals traded the right-hander to the Baltimore Orioles at the deadline.
Flaherty joined the Tigers as a free agent in December, signing a one-year contract. Flaherty (7-5, 2.95 ERA) has needed two injections for back tightness in the last two months, but he has pitched excellent in his three outings in July. He has only allowed four runs (three earned) and eight hits in 17 2/3 innings. Two of those matches have been against the Guardians. In six innings on Wednesday, Flaherty allowed only one unearned run on three hits and two walks. He struck out six. Flaherty has made six career starts versus Cleveland, going 1-2 with a 2.38 ERA. Also of immediate interest is who will be behind the plate on Monday, after the Tigers dealt catcher Carson Kelly to the Texas Rangers on Sunday in exchange for a pair of minor-league players. According to reports, Detroit will call up catcher Dillon Dingler from Triple-A Toledo for his main league debut. Dingler, the Tigers’ No. 11 prospect, with a.308 batting average and 17 home runs in 71 games with Toledo this season.
The Tigers selected him in the second round of the 2020 draft. Tanner Bibee (8-4, 3.50) will make his fifth start this month, three of which will be against Detroit. Bibee lost against the Tigers on July 10 after giving up four runs and five hits in seven innings. On Wednesday, he kept Detroit to one run and two hits in five innings for a no decision.
In between two starts, he shut out the San Diego Padres over 5 2/3 innings to earn a win. Bibee departed Wednesday’s game early due to cramps. “I seem to cramp up every single start, which stinks,” Bibee told me. “With our bullpen, it feels like they do their job every time they come into the game, and that’s the beauty of that.” Bibee threw a warmup pitch before the sixth inning and wanted to continue, but manager Stephen Vogt declined. “He fought me pretty good out there,” Vogt told me, “but I had to make a decision, and letting him go further could have been a danger to him.” Bibee is 0-3 with a 5.84 ERA in five career starts versus the Tigers.
Jhonkensy Noel’s three-run homer led the Guardians to a 4-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday. Cleveland won two of three games over the weekend against the National League’s leaders, with Emmanuel Clase earning his 32nd and 33rd saves of the season. Cleveland’s bullpen held the Phillies scoreless for the final 5 2/3 innings on Sunday. “That’s the beauty of this bullpen,” Vogt explained. “They did all we requested of them.
We wanted to go to the pen early (on Sunday), and they came through.” The Tigers lost two of three games against the Minnesota Twins over the weekend. They were held to one hit, a single by Matt Vierling in the fourth inning, and were blanked 5-0 on Sunday.
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