DETROIT — Detroit Tigers manager AJ Hinch wants the fans to cheer.
He is asking them to get pumped for the entirety of Miguel Cabrera's plate appearances against the Los Angeles Angels at Comerica Park. For the past three games against Cleveland, the crowd would go silent just moments before each pitch to the future Hall of Famer, and Hinch didn't like the added pressure.
Cabrera is one home run away from No. 500 in his 19-year career.
"It almost makes me nervous watching," Hinch said. "I want to tell them to raise the volume a little bit."
The Tigers (58-63) took the field in front of 24,714 fans in Tuesday's series opener, but many of them exited the ballpark before the frustrating 8-2 loss concluded. Gregory Soto allowed a grand slam to Jo Adell with two outs in the top of the ninth inning, breaking a 2-2 tie.
The Angels scored six runs in the ninth. Detroit has dropped two games in a row and three of their past four.
Those in the stands understood Hinch's message, especially when the phrase "MAKE SOME NOISE" flashed across the scoreboard with Cabrera at the plate. Despite their efforts, Cabrera finished 0 for 2 with two walks. He was walked on four pitches by Angels relievers Austin Warren and Steve Cishek in the fifth and seventh innings, respectively.
He gets another chance for his 500th homer Wednesday against Angels right-hander Shohei Ohtani. Cabrera is 1 for 11 (.111) with three walks, four strikeouts and one hit-by-pitch in four games since returning to Comerica Park on Friday.
Rookie right-hander Casey Mize started for the Tigers, allowing two runs on four hits and four walks over four innings. He struggled with his command throughout his outing and only used five splitters. Mize threw 49 of 88 pitches for strikes and logged four strikeouts.
But the bullpen gave the Tigers a boost, beginning with Kyle Funkhouser in the fifth inning.
The Angels didn't score against Funkhouser, Joe Jimenez (sixth inning), Michael Fulmer (seventh) and Jose Cisnero (eighth). The four relievers combined for four scoreless innings with four hits allowed, two walks and seven strikeouts.
In the ninth, Soto fell apart with two outs.
After Adell's grand slam, Kurt Suzuki crushed a solo homer to left for a 7-2 lead. An ensuing Juan Lagares double chased Soto from his appearance after 30 pitches. The Angels scored once with Ian Krol on the mound, thanks to second baseman Jonathan Schoop's fielding error, but the run was charged to Soto.
Soto allowed six runs (five earned) on four hits and two walks.
Tough night for Mize
On the 1-year anniversary of Mize's big league arrival, the 24-year-old took the mound for his 22nd start of 2021 and the 29th start of his MLB career. On the first pitch he threw, Ohtani — a two-way superstar — ripped a fastball up the middle for a single.
Mize needed 33 pitches to complete the first inning, but he stranded the bases loaded and kept the Angels to one run, when Brandon Marsh singled to center to score Ohtani, who stole his 18th base earlier in the inning.
The second inning went much better, besides walking Ohtani on four pitches. The 13-pitch frame ended with Ohtani trying — and failing — to swipe second base for the second time. Catcher Grayson Greiner fired to shortstop Harold Castro.
The Greiner-Castro connection was just in time for the third out.
But Mize fell back into trouble in the third. David Fletcher singled to start the inning, and a wild pitch advanced him to second before Jared Walsh took a walk. Mize responded with consecutive outs, which included striking out Marsh with a slider in a full count.
The momentum escaped Mize, as Jack Mayfield put an RBI single into right field for a 2-0 Angels lead. The former No. 1 overall draft pick retired the next four batters to conclude his outing. He used 27 pitches in the third and 14 pitches in a perfect fourth.
Battling with Bundy
Angels starter Dylan Bundy, a right-hander, retired the first seven batters he faced until Greiner worked a five-pitch walk with one out in the third inning. An unlikely source of production, Greiner provided the spark his team needed.
As Bundy struggled to throw strikes, Robbie Grossman capitalized with a four-pitch walk to put runners on first and second base. Schoop then made the walks count, hitting an RBI single to left field to make it a 2-1 deficit.
Cabrera struck out looking for the third out.
In the fifth, Greiner produced for the second time.
The backup catcher — in the lineup only because starter Eric Haase was scratched with low back tightness — ripped a one-out double to left field. The next batter lined out, but Grossman connected with Bundy's curveball for a single to right field.
Grossman's single carried just enough to drop between the second baseman and right fielder. More importantly, Greiner was running on contact and scored easily to tie the game at two runs. (Greiner also singled in the sixth.)
The single also chased Bundy, who allowed two runs on three hits and two walks over 4 2/3 innings. He struck out three and tossed 38 of 63 pitches for strikes.
