Casey Mize deals, but Tigers fall short in 10th in 1-0 loss vs Red Sox
TL;DR
The Detroit Tigers lost 1-0 to the Boston Red Sox in a tightly contested game that went into extra innings. Casey Mize and Ranger Suárez both pitched scoreless outings, but the Tigers' six-game winning streak ended with this defeat.
Key points
- Tigers lost 1-0 to Red Sox in extra innings
- Casey Mize pitched a scoreless game
- Ranger Suárez also had a scoreless outing
- Tigers' six-game winning streak ended
- Game took place at Fenway Park
BOSTON – Detroit Tigers right-hander Casey Mize didn't allow any runs.
Neither did Boston Red Sox left-hander Ranger Suárez.
Pitching dominance set the tone for both sides, but the Tigers fell short in a 1-0 loss to the Red Sox on Friday, April 17, in the first of four games in the series at Fenway Park, ending a six-game winning streak.
The teams needed extra innings to settle the scoreless tie.
In the 10th inning, the Tigers came up empty against right-handed reliever Garrett Whitlock, only for the Red Sox to come through against right-handed reliever Will Vest.
Masataka Yoshida hit Vest's elevated fastball to drive in the free runner from third base (after he advanced on a wild pitch) with a walk-off single. He bounced the ball through the right side of the five-man infield.
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Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Casey Mize (12) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park in Boston on Friday, April 17, 2026.
The winning streak ended, but the Tigers extended their losing streak on the road to nine games, marking their longest since a 10-game road losing streak in 2010. The Tigers still haven't won a road game since March 27 against the San Diego Padres – their second game of the season.
The Tigers (10-10) and Red Sox (8-11) meet again Saturday (4:10 p.m., Detroit SportsNet), with reigning two-time American League Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal on the mound.
In Friday's game, there was a pitching duel between Mize and Suárez. Both starters were efficient with their pitch counts, allowing them to compete deep into the game and save the bullpen.
It was one of Mize's best starts.
The 28-year-old, who becomes a free agent in less than seven months, built upon his track record of success at Fenway Park, entering the game with a 1.96 ERA across 23 innings (five runs) in four starts in Boston.
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Mize dominated in his latest performance against the Red Sox, firing 6⅔ scoreless innings on three hits and one walk (one hit-by-pitch) with seven strikeouts, throwing 94 pitches.
He generated 14 whiffs on 42 swings for a 33.3% whiff rate, and his fastball averaged 94 mph.
There were several big moments along the way.
After retiring the first eight batters, Mize allowed a ground-rule double to Connor Wong on a first-pitch fastball with two outs in the third inning. He immediately responded by striking out Roman Anthony on three pitches: 94.1 mph fastball (called strike), 87.7 mph slider (foul) and 87.1 mph splitter (swinging strike).
Anthony is Boston's best hitter.
He was no match for Mize's devastating splitter in the dirt.
In the fourth, Mize worked around a hit-by-pitch to strikeout-prone Willson Contreras in a full count by inducing a flyout and generating a double play. In the fifth, Mize walked Ceddanne Rafaela on four pitches, only for catcher Dillon Dingler to make a perfect throw to cut him down on the bases. In the sixth, Mize bounced back from a leadoff double by Caleb Durbin with three outs in a row, including an inning-ending strikeout when Contreras chased a fastball out of the strike zone.
Mize owns a 2.78 ERA in four starts this season.
Meanwhile, Suárez completed eight scoreless innings.
He allowed two hits and one walk with four strikeouts, throwing 93 pitches. The two hits: Back-to-back singles from Kevin McGonigle and Jahmai Jones with one out in the first inning. The one walk: Dillon Dingler on five pitches with two outs in the fourth inning.
The Tigers missed their best scoring opportunity against Suárez in the first inning, as Jones was thrown out trying to take second base on the single – resulting in the second out. After that, Dingler struck out swinging on a changeup below the zone.
As for Mize, the Tigers replaced him with two outs in the seventh inning after Jarren Duran's infield single. Facing Rafaela, right-handed reliever Kyle Finnegan recorded an inning-ending groundout.
Finnegan returned for the eighth inning.
He picked up the first two outs before walking Wong on seven pitches, setting up a dangerous matchup with Anthony. The Tigers countered by bringing in left-handed reliever Brant Hurter to get the favorable matchup, but Anthony didn't make it easy.
Anthony hammered a two-strike sinker from Hurter.
It was a flyout to deep center field.
In the ninth inning, the Tigers faced left-handed reliever Aroldis Chapman.
A single from Javier Báez shifted the momentum, but it went the other way when Báez was thrown out trying to steal second base. Still, the Tigers put two runners in scoring position with two outs on Gleyber Torres' walk and Jones' double.
That's when Chapman unlocked another gear.
Chapman struck out Dingler on three pitches in a row: 98.8 mph sinker (foul), 99.6 mph sinker (swinging strike) and 101.1 mph sinker (swinging strike). He stared down Dingler after the strikeout.
Third baseman Hao-Yu Lee made his MLB debut, finishing 0-for-3 with one strikeout. He flew out in the third inning, flew out fifth inning and struck out in the eighth inning. He also made a throwing error with two outs in the ninth inning, but it didn't come back to haunt the Tigers.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers blanked in 1-0 (10) loss to Boston Red Sox
Q&A
What was the final score of the Tigers vs Red Sox game on April 17?
The final score was 1-0 in favor of the Boston Red Sox.
Who were the starting pitchers in the Tigers vs Red Sox game?
Casey Mize started for the Detroit Tigers, while Ranger Suárez started for the Boston Red Sox.
How did the Tigers perform in extra innings against the Red Sox?
The Tigers failed to score in the 10th inning, while the Red Sox managed to score, leading to the Tigers' loss.
What was the impact of this loss on the Tigers' winning streak?
This loss ended the Tigers' six-game winning streak.
