Battenfield (0-1) took the loss in the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Tigers, allowing one run on three hits and three walks over six innings. He struck out five.
The 25-year-old rookie gave the Guardians a quality start in his second big-league outing, but his offense failed to give him any help in a 1-0 loss. Battenfield tossed 58 of 87 pitches for strikes, and he's making a strong initial case to hang onto the fifth starter role once the Cleveland rotation gets healthier, posting a 1.69 ERA and 8:3 K:BB through his first 10.2 MLB innings. He's next set to take the mound early next week in a home series against the Rockies.