Detroit Tigers right-hander Jack Flaherty took his team on a roller coaster ride during his six starts in August.
The Tigers are hoping they will get the better version of Flaherty in the opener of a weekend series against the visiting Chicago White Sox on Friday.
In three of his starts last month, Flaherty gave up one run or none. In the other three, he allowed at least five earned runs.
Flaherty was pounded for eight runs and 10 hits in five-plus innings against Kansas City on July 24. He bounced back on Saturday against the same opponent, holding the Royals to one run and four hits in 5 2/3 innings.
“I think that’s what it’s supposed to look like,” Flaherty said. “I know I had some good outings mixed in there, but in terms of how I felt, my presence, being in sync — that’s more along the lines of what I want to feel like. The last time against them I felt like I was searching instead of going out, being in sync and competing.”
Manager A.J. Hinch was encouraged by Flaherty’s latest performance.
“He was really good,” Hinch said. “He did have a little extra (Saturday), probably because he faced these guys before and had a rough game. He was very convicted in his pitches. I thought it was the best fastball he’s had in a while and he carried it all the way through the outing.”
Flaherty (7-13, 4.74 ERA) has faced the White Sox three times this season, going 2-1 with a 3.94 ERA. He is 3-2 with a 3.45 ERA in six career starts against Chicago.
Detroit (81-60), which has a 9 1/2-game lead in the American League Central, had an off day on Thursday. The Tigers salvaged the finale of a three-game series against the New York Mets with a 6-2 win on Wednesday.
The White Sox’s scheduled Friday starter, rookie Shane Smith (4-7, 3.81 ERA), is coming off two of his best performances this season. The 25-year-old right-hander held Kansas City to one hit in seven innings on Aug. 25, then limited the New York Yankees to two runs and three hits in 6 1/3 innings.
“He’s a power pitcher,” White Sox catcher Kyle Teel told MLB.com. “And I think he’s starting to learn himself and the catchers are starting to learn him better, too. That’s just development, and he’s doing great.”
Smith went 0-4 with an 11.29 ERA in five starts from mid-June to mid-July before landing on the injured list due to a sprained left ankle. Since returning on Aug. 1, he is 1-0 with a 2.67 ERA in six starts.
“If anybody’s going to beat me, it’s going to be me,” Smith said. “It’s kind of how I was in that rough stretch, I was beating myself a little bit with not staying aggressive and not throwing pitches in the zone and not attacking hitters. Definitely a learning curve. I learned a whole bunch of stuff from that, but it’s just realizing my stuff is good enough.”
The Tigers are well aware how stingy Smith can be. He has held them scoreless in two starts this season, spanning 10 1/3 innings.
Chicago (53-88) is riding a season-best five-game winning streak. The White Sox completed a four-game sweep of the Minnesota Twins with an 11-8 victory on Thursday in Minneapolis. Teel went 3-for-5 with a homer and four RBIs in the series finale.
–Field Level Media
