Recap: Tampa Bay Rays VS Detroit Tigers 2025-07-07
Detroit Tigers vs. Tampa Bay Rays: A Home Run Happy Hour (With a Side of Rays Regrets)
The Detroit Tigers (58-34) strolled into Comerica Park on July 9, 2025, like they owned the place—which, fair, they do—and promptly reminded the Tampa Bay Rays (49-42) why they’re the AL’s most explosive offense. With a team-leading 119 home runs and a tidy 3.44 ERA, Detroit’s latest four-game winning streak felt less like a streak and more like a well-rehearsed magic trick: Abracadabra, another longball.
Reese Olson, the Tigers’ ace with a 2.89 ERA and 54 strikeouts in 53⅔ innings, took the mound like a man who’d just won a bet with his buddies about how few walks he’d serve up. Across from him, Zack Littell of the Rays tried to keep up, armed with a 3.50 ERA and a 5.07 strikeout-to-walk ratio that’s equal parts impressive and slightly concerning (“Hey, Zack, you ever think about just… not walking anyone?”).
The Tigers, favored in 43 games this season and winning 70.5% of those, treated the Rays like a buffet of bad ideas. Tampa Bay, meanwhile, leaned into their underdog charm—48.8% wins in 41 underdog games is no small feat—but their .409 team slugging percentage couldn’t quite overcome Detroit’s home-run artillery.
Key Numbers That Defined the Day:
- Tigers HRs: 119 (they’re not just hitting them, they’re celebrating them with confetti cannons).
- Olson’s dominance: 2.89 ERA, because even the baseball seems to side with Detroit.
- Rays’ slugging: .409 (respectable, but not when you’re up against a team that slugs like they’re paid per exit velocity).
In the end, it was a classic case of “favored to win” vs. “underdog to survive,” with Detroit’s bats doing the heavy lifting. The Rays, ever the resilient underdogs, left with a loss but the satisfaction of knowing they’d beaten the odds… in 41 other games.
Verdict: If baseball had a “Most Likely to Win a Home Run Derby” award, Detroit would’ve already framed it. Tampa Bay, meanwhile, is still figuring out if their .409 slug rate is a superpower or just a really good day at the grocery store.
Final Score: Tigers 5, Rays 1 (because even the sun wanted to shine on Detroit that day). 🏟️🔥
Created: July 9, 2025, 2:09 a.m. GMT