Tigers blow late lead in 4-3 loss to Braves as bullpen concerns grow

The Detroit Tigers dropped a tight one to the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday night, falling 4-3 in a game that felt under control heading into the final inning.

Detroit did enough to win. The back end of the bullpen did not.

The turning point

Kenley Jansen entered with a chance to lock it down and couldn’t do it. A leadoff walk set the tone, and it unraveled quickly from there. Matt Olson’s two-run shot to right-center ended it, flipping a one-run Tigers lead into a loss.

It’s the third blown save already for Jansen this season, and the trend is hard to ignore. The cutter isn’t as sharp, the velocity isn’t what it was, and the margin for error is gone. When the leadoff man reaches, the inning feels unstable. That’s been consistent.

Skubal did his job

Tarik Skubal gave the Tigers exactly what they needed after a rough first inning. Following a two-run homer by Ozzie Albies, he settled in and dominated.

He worked efficiently, limited traffic, and even struck out the side in the seventh. It was the kind of outing that should translate into a win more often than not.

Offense did enough

Detroit chipped away after falling behind early. They tied it and briefly took control, including capitalizing on a Braves error to manufacture a run. Against a strong Atlanta pitching staff, three runs and late leverage is usually enough.

On this night, it wasn’t.

Bigger issue: the bullpen

This wasn’t about missed opportunities early or lack of offense. The game was set up exactly how you want it. Lead late, hand it to your closer, finish it.