Scuffling Tigers at crossroads with Morton in tight Central race

DETROIT -- Charlie Morton is a World Series hero from 2017, a two-time champion and a seven-year postseason veteran. He has more experience in big late-season games than some of his Tigers teammates have Major League experience overall. He has seen more and done more than anyone on Detroit’s pitching staff.

But what the Tigers saw from him Friday night might put the team at a crossroads with what to do with their veteran starter and Trade Deadline acquisition.

There was Morton, an 18-year Major League veteran, walking off the mound in the second inning after six runs, five hits, a hit batter -- the 200th of his career -- and just four outs. He headed to the dugout to a shower of boos from an announced crowd of 33,554 at Comerica Park. The murmurs of concern from the stands over the previous couple days turned to vocal frustration at an outing that compounded the Tigers’ struggles and sent them to their seventh loss in eight games.

By the end of Friday’s 10-1 loss to the Braves, the Tigers turned to a position player to get the final out of the ninth inning on the mound. Jake Rogers caught all game, so Zach McKinstry got the honors, taking the mound to the loudest ovation of the night.

It was that kind of game at the worst time for the Tigers to have it. Once Cleveland beat Minnesota, Detroit’s lead atop the AL Central dropped to 2 1/2 games, the closest it’s been since May 13.

“We know what's going on right now, right? I think pretty much everybody knows,” Gleyber Torres said. “We try to figure out a way to prepare a little bit better.

“Really, there's no panic at all. All the guys, we are together, we are on the same page. But how we [are playing] is not the way we want to play right now. We know Cleveland is close. But just keep playing. It's not the first time, this kind of slump.”

Friday was the 408th regular-season start of Morton’s career. At 1 1/3 innings, it tied for his ninth-shortest start in terms of outs recorded. He hadn’t tossed a shorter start since Sept. 22, 2023, when he was pitching for Atlanta -- the team that just roughed him up. It’s fair to question whether he’ll get another.

“Tonight, a really crucial time of the year, it's heartbreaking,” Morton said of his outing. “It's really disappointing.”

Manager A.J. Hinch gave the ball to Morton in one big situation after another during their time together with the Astros. Hinch gave Morton the ball down the stretch this year as one of the Tigers’ key Deadline acquisitions. As Hinch took the ball from Morton in the second inning Friday, it was anyone’s guess when or whether he can give Morton the ball again.

“Tough question right after the game,” Hinch said when asked about it. “I understand why you’re asking. I don’t know. Obviously we’ve got to figure it out, because he’s been a reliable strike-thrower, he’s got movement, he’s got all kinds of different pitches.

“Even when he locked in the breaking ball for a few hitters in the first [inning Friday], you think that is going to be the one that makes it click a little bit.”

Morton’s rotation spot currently lines up for next Thursday in Cleveland, the finale of a three-game series that could determine the AL Central champion. The Tigers could use Monday’s off-day to move up Keider Montero, who starts Saturday, and skip Morton. They would still need a fifth starter or bullpen game during next weekend’s three-game series in Boston that could also carry postseason implications.

“I don't know,” Morton said when asked if he expects another start. “I'm not expecting anything.”

The Tigers were desperately seeking a change in momentum Friday after three closely played losses to the Guardians cut Detroit’s AL Central lead nearly in half. Morton’s start only sped up the Tigers’ slide. His outing wasn’t competitive, putting Detroit down big and leaving its bullpen with more than seven innings to cover.

Other than Spencer Torkelson’s fourth-inning solo homer -- his 30th home run of the season -- the Tigers did little against Atlanta starter Bryce Elder, who struck out six over seven innings, his fourth outing of six-plus innings of one-run ball over his last five starts.

“You’re down, 6-0, and then our at-bats got a little more wild as the game went on,” Hinch said. “We took a lot of called third strikes. We swung a lot. Tork had the one good swing. We had a couple other really good swings, but all for naught.”