Tigers witness rarity from young Fulmer

DETROIT — It was going to happen. This was just a bad time for it.

Michael Fulmer was eventually going to struggle like he did on Friday. Pretty much every pitcher does, rookie or veteran, heavy innings total or light. The Tigers had to hope timing would be in their favor, much like his other subpar starts.

“He was bound to have an outing like this at some point,” manager Brad Ausmus said after Fulmer allowed a season-high six runs in 5 2/3 innings in Friday’s 10-2 loss to the Red Sox. “He couldn’t continue to be as dominant as he was on an every-five-day basis.”

Fulmer had other starts in which he showed he was human. He allowed five runs in three of his first 19 starts this season, but the Tigers had enough offensive punch to win two of them. Most recently, they rallied to beat the White Sox on July 22 after Chicago chased Fulmer after five innings with five runs, four earned.

As Jackie Bradley Jr. sent Fulmer’s full-count slider out to right field for Boston’s second two-run home run in the first inning — handing former Tiger Rick Porcello a 4-0 lead before he took the mound for his first pitch …

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