DETROIT – A bizarre night at Comerica Park culminated in a controversial ending to Thursday’s doubleheader between the Detroit Tigers and Pittsburgh Pirates. The lengthy day featured multiple disruptions, including persistent rain issues, a highly disputed replay decision, a manager ejection, and even two separate altercations involving Pirates players and fans.
By the time the final out of the second game was recorded, tensions were clearly boiling over on the field, in the dugouts, and in the stands. Here’s a breakdown of the wild finish and what the Tigers and Major League Baseball had to say about the chaos.
Weather Woes Add Early Frustration
The doubleheader itself was scheduled after storms postponed Wednesday’s game, but the weather didn’t fully cooperate even on Thursday.
Tigers ace Tarik Skubal voiced frustration after sitting through a 40-minute delay for Game 1, only to pitch the first two innings in steady rain. “My hat was literally leaking water in front of my face while I was pitching,” Skubal said, questioning, “Why didn’t we just wait?” He felt the conditions significantly impacted him early on, despite acknowledging both teams faced the same weather. The difficult first inning, where he loaded the bases before escaping, contributed to shortening his outing from his recent string of longer starts.
Conditions improved for Game 2 until the ninth inning. With the game tied 4-4, one out, and Jake Rogers batting with a 1-2 count, dark clouds rolled in again. Crew chief Chris Guccione called for the tarp just as heavy rain began, triggering a 1 hour and 15-minute delay.
Rogers felt blindsided by the mid-at-bat halt. “I kind of would’ve liked to finish my at-bat,” he said. “One pitch away, then they pull the tarp. I think everyone was surprised.”
Tigers manager A.J. Hinch understood the tough spot the umpire crew was in. “What are you going to do? Play in the rain until it floods the field? Gooch was in a tough spot, trying to preserve the integrity of the field.”
An MLB spokesman later explained the decision: “The decision to pull the tarp during an at-bat was made in an effort to preserve the integrity of the field given the game situation at the point that the rain intensified. We had no desire for the condition of the field during the inclement weather to impact the outcome of the close game.” Notably, the delay also forced the Pirates to change pitchers, as reliever Dennis Santana did not return after the long wait.
The Controversial Play at the Plate
The most significant point of contention came in extra innings. With the game tied 4-4 in the bottom of the 10th and runner Tommy Pham starting at second, Ke’Bryan Hayes singled to right field. Tigers outfielder Kerry Carpenter fired a strong throw home, where catcher Jake Rogers appeared to apply a tag as Pham slid.
Home plate umpire Dexter Kelley called Pham safe, giving the Pirates a 5-4 lead. The Tigers immediately challenged the call, but after a lengthy review, the call “stands” was announced.
This upheld decision infuriated A.J. Hinch, leading to his immediate ejection – his first since the 2024 regular-season finale. Hinch expressed significant frustration with the replay ruling. “I really hate (the term) ‘stands.’ When you say (the call) stands, it’s like making no call to either affirm or take it away,” he said. “The angle that they put up on the board looked like he was out.”
Rogers was equally frustrated, convinced he made the tag. “It was a perfect throw. Everything kind of went how you’d want it to as a catcher… I thought I put a good tag down. Then he called him safe, and I was like, ‘(expletive)!’” Seeing the replay upheld was disheartening: “It sucks, because you feel like you do everything right, and then something like that happens. It kind of kills you.”
MLB’s Replay Operations Center issued a statement on the decision: “After viewing all relevant angles, the Replay Official could not definitively determine that the fielder tagged the runner prior to the runner touching home plate.”
An MLB spokesman clarified that Hinch was ejected for arguing the replay review decision itself, not the initial call on the field, a point Hinch understood but argued was necessary to defend his team.
Fan Friction Adds Another Layer of Drama
Adding to the night’s bizarre nature were two separate altercations between Pirates players and fans.
Before he even entered the game, Pirates reliever Dennis Santana exchanged words with a fan near the visiting bullpen. Video showed Santana jumping up and appearing to swipe towards the fan before being restrained by teammates and security. The fan was ejected. Santana later commented only that the fan had “crossed the line a few times.”
Later, in the 10th inning, after scoring the go-ahead run, Tommy Pham began arguing with fans behind home plate while waiting in the on-deck circle. Umpires signaled for security, leading to the ejection of several fans from the section. Pham declined to comment on the incident.
An MLB spokesman stated that umpires and security supported the decision to eject a fan who made “inappropriate comments” in order to protect a player. Rogers, who was catching and witnessed the exchange, said the situation escalated quickly and surprised everyone nearby.
The series of unusual events made for a truly memorable, albeit chaotic, night at Comerica Park.
