With the non-waiver trade deadline a little over a week away, the Tigers displayed their greatest need once again Tuesday night.
The Tigers (55-42) had a 4-3 lead heading into the eighth inning but the bullpen couldn't hold it, resulting in a 5-4 loss to the Diamondbacks (44-57) in the Arizona desert.
Normally, the Tigers would have turned to Joba Chamberlain, who has excelled in the eighth-inning role this season.
But Chamberlain had pitched three straight days so Phil Coke got the nod.
The Diamondbacks had three lefties coming up -- Didi Gregorius, Ender Inciarte and David Peralta.
Coke got Gregorius, then walked both Inciarte and Peralta.
Tigers manager Brad Ausmus turned to Al Alburquerque, who got Aaron Hill. Alburquerque had to be careful with Paul Goldschmidt, so he walked him, loading the bases.
Ausmus called on Ian Krol, who had Miguel Montero down 0-2, but then Montero got a hit up the middle to score two runs, the game-winning runs.
"It does happen but it shouldn't happen," Ausmus told FOX Sports Detroit's John Keating on the post-game show. "The walks killed us. Three walks in that inning killed us. It's one of those things, it shouldn't happen but occasionally does happen and it happened (Tuesday night). It hurt us."
Montero said he was trying to get something to drive up the middle.
"Obviously I never see this guy before, I really have no clue how the ball comes out of his hand or what the pitches does, so the first two pitches I took and they were good pitches to hit," Montero told FOX Sports Arizona. "Lucky enough, the third one was right on the middle and fortunate enough to get a base hit."
Montero gets the glory but he pointed out someone who deserved the credit.
"Inciarte got the walk with one out off the left-hander and that got the party started," Montero said.
Coke (1-2, 4.79 ERA) got the loss, giving up his first two runs since June 14.
It snapped Coke's 12-inning, 12-outing scoreless streak, the longest by a reliever this season.
"Here's a no-no from me, you can't give guys free passes," FOX Sports Detroit analyst Craig Monroe said. "In the eighth inning, Phil Coke walked the first two batters, they always come back to haunt you. Everyday Al comes in, he walks Goldschmidt. Understandable, you gotta try to stay away from him.
"But this is where Montero does the damage, gets himself a good pitch and doesn't try to do too much and drives the ball up the middle."
The Tigers should have scored a few more runs in the top of the eighth after Torii Hunter drove in two.
They had runners at second and third with one out and Alex Avila struck out swinging. The Diamondbacks walked Eugenio Suarez to get to starter Rick Porcello and pinch hitter Rajai Davis was called out on strikes, ending the threat.
"You hope you can push a run across somehow but the back-to-back strikeouts obviously ends that," Ausmus said. "We had an opportunity there, an opportunity to blow the game open but it didn't happen."
What was also painful was having to remove Porcello, who had thrown just 77 pitches.
"Ricky did an excellent job, did a real nice job," Ausmus said. "Probably could have gone deeper if it weren't for the National League game. Unfortunately, the bullpen struggled. Torii got the big hit, put us out in front but we weren't able to hold it."
That's something that Ausmus has said before this season, that the bullpen has struggled.
It will probably cost the Tigers dearly but they need reliable bullpen help and they need it now.
