Tigers Come Up Empty In Double-dip With Those Stinkin’ Indians

Cleveland 4, Detroit 3 (box)
Cleveland 2, Detroit 1 (11 innings) (box)

Fans looking for reasons to doubt the Tigers ability to reach the post season need look no further than Saturday’s doubleheader.

When you give your ace a three run lead before he takes the mound in one game and a recently recalled youngster gives you eight innings of one run ball in the other game there is no excuse for coming up empty against a last place team.

But that is exactly what happened.

This series was supposed to be a golden opportunity for the Tigers to seize control of the AL Central. The red hot White Sox have dropped two of their first three games with the Twins but their division lead has actually increased because of the Tigers disappointing 0-3 second half start.

The Tigers have just 16 road wins on the year, the lowest total of all AL Central teams. Their poor play away from Comerica Park hasn’t been helped by the Indians whose outfielders might more appropriately be named Hoover, Bissell, and Dyson. The Oreck XL at third base hasn’t helped the Tigers cause as the 6-4-3 double play has kept the Indians pitchers away from major damage.

If you sense a tone of frustration, you would be right. I apologize if you came looking for some cheers and jeers but I don’t see any reason to celebrate any individual accomplishments and singling out a few for jeers would be a futile effort. This series has been a complete failure, no matter what happens on Sunday afternoon.