MLB fans in awe of Detroit Tigers pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez after near perfect game against Baltimore Orioles

Eduardo Rodriguez has been one of the few bright spots for a flailing Detroit Tigers team this season. Not many people expected a lot from the Tigers this year. The club has failed to reach the playoffs for eight straight seasons and has done little to improve its roster.

Despite Eduardo Rodriguez having a career night, Detroit dropped a tightly contested matchup versus the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday. Rodriguez finished the night with no earned runs and allowed just one hit on the evening. He struck out six batters and threw 65 strikes on just 95 total pitches.

Rodriguez was close to throwing a perfect game. He threw seven full innings but fell short on the evening. The Venezuelan lefty was nearly flawless against the Orioles and kept their hitters off balance all night.

MLB fans took to Twitter to praise the Tigers pitcher for bringing something positive to an otherwise declining franchise.

Warning: NSFW Language

The Detroit Tigers may have lost the game but their pitcher put up a Cy Young-level performance. The 30-year-old lefty finished with six strikeouts and allowed just one hit. It took him just 95 pitches to get through seven innings.

Rodriguez has been fantastic this season so far. He has an extraordinary 2.32 ERA and 25 strikeouts after just 31 innings of pitching. He holds opposing batters to a .194 batting average after five starts.

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Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez has had a strong start to the 2023 season

Eduardo Rodriguez of the Detroit Tigers pitches against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre

The Detroit Tigers have not made the playoffs since going 90-72 in the 2014 season. The team has failed to win the American League Central division since 2014. It is the longest playoff drought in the MLB (tied with the Los Angeles Angels).

After yesterday's loss, the club fell to 7-13 and fell to third place in the American League Central. Despite losing four straight games, the Tigers are still in the hunt to challenge for the division.

The club faces a difficult three-game series versus the Milwaukee Brewers before returning home to face the Baltimore Orioles and New York Mets. The Tigers will need to make adjustments and improve if they hope to have any chance of challenging for a playoff spot.