DETROIT -- If division play were the sole determining factor in the standings, the Tigers would be tied atop the American League Central. If the schedule was more heavily weighted toward division play as in previous years, Detroit would be in a better position. But such is the nature of the AL Central this year.

As it is, the Tigers completed a 10-game foray into the AL Central with a 6-4 record, including a 4-3 mark against the division-leading Twins. But they’ll be rueing a missed chance for more with Sunday’s 6-3 loss to the Twins at Comerica Park. While Nick Maton’s eighth-inning error allowed the tying run to score, Detroit had other turning points. Javier Báez struck out with Kerry Carpenter on second and a chance to add on in the third. Zack Short fanned against lefty Brent Headrick with two on in the seventh. Jose Cisnero’s two-out walk to Royce Lewis put the tying run on before Maton’s error.

“It was a bad time to make a bad error with where the game was, in a one-run game,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “But we could’ve won this game in a lot of different ways.”

Considering where the Tigers stood before this divisional stretch, having lost 11 of 12, they’ve stabilized matters over the past week and a half. Now, comes another challenging stretch outside of the Central, starting with a seven-game road trip to Texas and Colorado before the A’s and Blue Jays visit Detroit before the All-Star break.

Here are three things we learned about this team coming out of the latest stretch that should factor into its first-half finish:

1) Alex Lange endures
The look on Lange’s face coming off the mound at the end of a scoreless ninth inning Sunday wasn’t the usual blend of adrenaline and emotion. Lange was tired, and he showed it. Hours after throwing 28 pitches in a four-out save Saturday night, he threw 24 pitches Sunday to keep the game tied. It was the first time in his career that he threw 20-plus pitches on consecutive days.

“It was a huge test, and an unfortunate test,” Hinch said. “Even though he did great, it’s probably going to cost us [Monday] with him. He was gassed at the end. He’s given us everything in the last two days, but I had no hesitation doing it because our team was in the game.”

Add in Monday’s save against the Royals, and Lange has thrown 3 1/3 hitless innings since last weekend’s meltdown in Minnesota, walking three and striking out four. His command nearly wavered Sunday with back-to-back two-out walks, and he drew just six swings, the last of which from Carlos Correa, who scorched a line drive to left at 108.7 miles per hour right at left fielder Andy Ibañez for the out. In a pass/fail role, Lange passed.

2) Clutch Carp
Carpenter went 4-for-16 with four RBIs for the homestand, including his go-ahead three-run homer Monday night and an RBI single as part of Sunday’s three-run third inning. Those marked his first two hits this season with runners in scoring position and two outs. He continues to show an ability to hit offspeed pitches and stay disciplined within the strike zone.

The Rangers have left-handed starters lined up for the first two games in Texas, but it was notable that Carpenter hit against lefty Eduardo Rodriguez during his live BP session Saturday, not just to be a good teammate but to get more looks in lefty-lefty situations.

3) Maton heads to Toledo
The Tigers’ homestand began Monday with president of baseball operations Scott Harris exercising patience with Maton, who had struggled for most of the season.

“As long as the work looks good and as long as he continues to show some of those adjustments at the plate, we're going to give him some runway,” Harris said then.

While Maton showed signs of digging out of his slump at the plate, going 4-for-16 for the homestand and showing some better two-strike approaches, his defense began to waver. Four batters before Maton’s errant throw, first baseman Spencer Torkelson bailed him out on another wayward throw with a swipe tag on Donovan Solano. Maton’s wide throw on Willi Castro’s grounder gave Torkelson no chance. Maton’s inability to stop Lewis’ grounder in the 10th allowed Correa to score from second and set up a three-run inning.

Even with Hinch’s desire for lefty-righty balance in Detroit’s lineup, the defensive issues are one problem too many, which is why Maton was optioned to Triple-A Toledo following the game. 

“Obviously I’ve struggled, a lot,” Maton said. “But I know the player I can be. Everyone knows the player I can be. Maybe this will help me out. I’m not going to sulk around about it. I’m going to get to work.”