Jack Flaherty’s last outing alleviated any concerns about the veteran right-hander’s effectiveness.
Flaherty will try to build off that performance when the Tigers host the Kansas City Royals in the finale of a three-game series on Sunday afternoon.
Flaherty gave up a combined 10 earned runs in nine innings in his previous two starts before a dominant performance against Houston on Monday. Flaherty tossed seven scoreless innings, allowing just three hits while recording nine strikeouts to one walk.
He cruised after escaping a bases-loaded jam in the first inning.
“Just continue to execute pitches,” Flaherty said. “It’s the same thing I’ve been preaching on good and bad days. The more you execute, the more things are going to happen. I made some pitches to get out of it (in the first inning), and you just make pitches and try to execute and that’s all you can try to do.”
It’s that type of performance that made Flaherty, 29, a key member of the Los Angeles Dodgers during their World Series run last season. The Tigers dealt him at last year’s trade deadline for two prospects, then re-signed him as a free agent during the offseason.
Flaherty (7-12, 4.51 ERA) has delivered a quality start 10 times this season, but the consistency has been lacking.
“He’s a perfectionist by nature and he expects a lot out of himself,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “He does everything with a purpose and that goes from right now, how he’s doing his arm exercises to the workout regimen, to the nutrition and his throwing. Everything is detailed out to what he’s trying to do and he stays the course.”
Flaherty will now face a team he has consistently dominated. He’s 4-0 with a 0.72 ERA in 25 innings over four career starts against the Royals.
Mound opponent Seth Lugo (8-6, 3.73) also is coming off a bounce-back effort. After allowing a combined 13 earned runs in eight innings in his previous two starts, the veteran right-hander held Texas to two runs, three hits and two walks with five strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings on Tuesday.
Lugo mentally pushed aside his struggles when he took the mound against the visiting Rangers.
“It’s part of the game,” Lugo said. “You play long enough that you go through stretches like that. Learn from the past. You try not to overthink it. You try to just do your job and go about your business the same way. Expect that if you have confidence when you’re out there pitching, you’re going to get through it.”
Lugo, 35, made some minor tweaks that worked.
“Try to keep it the same thought process, the same attack plan, but try to be a little smoother and execute better,” he said. “It’s just a little feeling being slower down the mound. I was working a little too quickly and I was able to correct that.”
He’s 3-2 with a 3.53 ERA in 35 2/3 innings over six career starts against Detroit.
The Tigers have won the first two games of the series, stretching their winning streak to five games and their lead in the American League Central Division to 11 1/2 games over the second-place Royals.
Kansas City first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino had his franchise-tying record of five consecutive games with a homer snapped during the Tigers’ 4-2 win on Saturday.