Recap: Detroit Tigers VS Tampa Bay Rays 2025-06-22
Tigers vs. A’s: A Tale of Two ERAs (and Why You Should Root for Detroit Unless You’re a Masochist)
The Detroit Tigers (49-30) strolled into Comerica Park on June 24, 2025, with the swagger of a team that’s been the moneyline favorite 50 times this season (and actually won 35 of those—shocking, we know). Across the plate, the Oakland Athletics (32-48) arrived like a group that’s been underdogs 62 times this year, which explains their 23 wins. Math: it checks out.
The Pitching Matchup? Tarik Skubal vs. Luis Severino. One is a Cy Young contender; the other is… a guy who probably needs a better agent. The Tigers’ 3.50 ERA vs. the A’s 5.43 ERA? That’s not a pitching duel—it’s a math lesson.
Power Numbers: The Tigers (96 HRs) vs. the A’s (98 HRs). Oakland’s offense is technically the 8th-best in homers, but their ERA is so bad (5.43, sweetie) it’s like they’re playing in a hurricane. Detroit’s bats, meanwhile, are 10th in HRs and apparently immune to their own subpar pitching.
Key Players: Riley Greene, Gleyber Torres, and Spencer Torkelson for Detroit—think of them as the “Three Amigos” who don’t need a fourth amigo named “Pitcher” to win. On the A’s side: Jacob Wilson, Brent Rooker, and Tyler Soderstrom, who are basically the “Three Stooges” if the Stooges had a combined .220 average and a bullpen that melts at the sight of a fastball.
Recent Results: The A’s had just been trounced by the Cleveland Guardians 4-2 the day prior, which is the baseball equivalent of getting a participation trophy. The Tigers? They’d lost to the Tampa Bay Rays 8-3 the night before, proving even a team as good as Detroit can have a “meh” night… or maybe just face Tom Brady’s lesser-known cousin, Blake Snell.
Why You Should Care: If you like underdogs, root for Oakland. If you like sane decision-making, root for Detroit. The Tigers are 35-15 in favor games this season—probably because their ERA is 3.50, not 5.43. The A’s are 23-62 in underdog spots, which is baseball’s version of a “W”… if “W” stood for “Why Are We Still Watching This Game?”
Final Prediction: Tigers 5, A’s 2. Because nothing says “funny” like a team with a 5.43 ERA thinking they can hang with a 3.50 unit. Bring popcorn. And maybe a defibrillator.
Created: June 24, 2025, 1:42 p.m. GMT