Detroit Tigers can't find clutch hit in 3-0 loss to Angels as winning streak ends

The winning streak has ended for the Detroit Tigers .

The Tigers were on the verge of their longest winning streak since July 2021, but they failed to build upon their six-game streak, losing 3-0 to the Los Angeles Angels in Thursday's finale of the three-game series at Comerica Park.

Spencer Torkelson struck out swinging against flamethrower Ben Joyce with the bases loaded in the eighth inning, finishing 0-for-3 with three strikeouts.

"He throws a billion," manager A.J. Hinch said of Joyce, when asked about the key moment with Torkelson. "He's at the back end because of the velocity and his mentality and his aggressiveness. It's a tough matchup for anybody."

With the loss, the Tigers (68-67) are five games back of the third and final spot in the American League wild-card race.

There are 27 games remaining.

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The chances of the Tigers extended their winning streak diminished in the fifth inning, when Zach Neto fouled off five of seven pitches from right-hander Keider Montero before clobbering a curveball for a milestone two-run home run to left-center field.

The ball traveled 400 feet.

"He looked like he was in trouble every inning," Hinch said of Montero. "Something was happening to put him under stress every inning. He walked that fine line. You get close to the stove, and you touch it, you're going to get burned, and Neto burned him."

Neto — whom the Angels selected one pick after the Tigers took Jace Jung at No. 12 overall in the 2022 draft — joined the 20-20 club with his 20th home run, paired with 23 stolen bases. The 23-year-old became the first Angels infielder in franchise history to produce a 20-20 season. (The Tigers, by the way, haven't had a 20-20 performance since Robbie Grossman in 2021.)

The two-run homer from Neto put the Angels ahead, 3-0, with two outs in the fifth inning.

"It was location," Montero said in Spanish, interpreted by Carlos Guillén, the Tigers' manager of Spanish communications and broadcasting. "It was right in the middle of the strike zone, and we're in Major League Baseball, they don't miss that one."

The Angels grabbed a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning with Mickey Moniak's RBI double to right field. The inning began with a leadoff walk by Anthony Rendon, one of three walks issued by Montero.

Montero allowed three runs on five hits and three walks with five strikeouts across five innings, throwing 89 pitches. He stranded runners in the first, second and third innings, but he couldn't keep the Angels from scoring in the fourth and fifth.

"I was struggling with my command," Montero said.

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The final innings

The Tigers didn't allow the Angels to add to their lead in the late innings, thanks to scoreless efforts from left-handed reliever Joey Wentz (two innings), right-handed reliever Will Vest (one inning) and left-handed reliever Sean Guenther (one inning).

But the Tigers didn't score, either.

The biggest opportunity occurred in the eighth inning, when Torkelson stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs, following Andy Ibáñez's walk, Matt Vierling's pinch-hit single and Colt Keith's walk. The Angles called Joyce, a right-hander who consistently tops 100 mph, out of the bullpen to face Torkelson.

Torkelson struck out swinging.

"You better start really early," Hinch said of Joyce, whose fastball averages 102 mph. "It's a blur. He's no secret. Even though you know what you're dealing with, it's really, really hard to time him up and stay disciplined and deal with his sinker."

The Tigers finished 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position.

Who is Jack Kochanowicz?

Right-hander Jack Kochanowicz, who started for the Angels, had struggled in the first five starts of his MLB career, posting a 6.08 ERA with seven walks and eight strikeouts in 26⅔ innings.

Somehow, Kochanowicz — a ground-ball pitcher — carved up the Tigers in his sixth start. He tossed six scoreless innings on five hits and no walks with four strikeouts, lowering his ERA to 4.96.

"It looked like we had a lot of opportunities, some of those were late," Hinch said, "we didn't really string at-bats together the way we have in recent days. The balls that we did try to get under and scoop, we fouled off a ton into the stands. You need ball in play in the air, and certainly at the right time, to impact him."

The Tigers had scoring opportunities in the third, fourth and sixth innings against Kochanowicz.

In the third, Dillon Dingler grounded into a double play and Parker Meadows struck out after Zach McKinstry's leadoff double and Trey Sweeney's hit by pitch. In the fourth, Keith grounded out after a two-out double from Jung. In the sixth, Jung grounded into an inning-ending double play after back-to-back singles from Meadows and Kerry Carpenter.

McKinstry, who extended his hitting streak to a career-best nine games, led the Tigers' offense, finishing 3-for-4 with two singles, a double and a strikeout. Since Aug. 3, McKinstry is hitting .379 with five walks and 14 strikeouts in 20 games.

"More consistent at-bats," McKinstry said. "I'm seeing the ball a lot better, slowing everything down and my hands are working."

Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold .

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers can't find clutch hit in 3-0 loss to Angels as winning streak ends