Detroit Tigers: What a difference (not even) a day makes

After a rare offensive explosion on Wednesday night, the Detroit Tigers could not get things going at all at the plate less than 24 hours later, getting shutout by the LA Angels 13-0 on Thursday afternoon.

Unfortunately, this pattern of ups and downs is something that Detroit Tigers fans are having to get used to in 2019. The Tigers offense looked flat out dull not even a full day removed from putting up just their second double-digit run performance of the year. For a team that has had some pretty tough losses already this season, Thursday afternoon was particularly hard to watch.

Only nine days into the month, Thursday afternoon was already the second time Detroit allowed their opponents 13 runs or more in May, the other being a 15-3 loss to Kansas City on May 4th. After a night where everything seemed to be clicking in Detroit, it all came crashing back down to earth in the wink of an eye.

Detroit Tigers first baseman Ronny Rodríguez failed to follow up his three hit, four RBI performance from Wednesday with anything notable. Rodríguez went 0-3 on Thursday and struck out with runners in scoring position in the first inning. The 27-year-old is still showing plenty of promise that he could be a fixture in Detroit’s lineup, but these two most recent performances could serve as a microcosm for practically the entire Tigers offense.

The Tigers haven’t won back-to-back games since winning both games of a doubleheader against the Red Sox in Boston on April 23rd. The next day after that, Detroit fell utterly flat against the Red Sox in an 11-4 loss.

Strong starting pitching was really the main thing holding up this Tigers team for much of the season, but once that fails and Detroit finds itself in a hole, often the team might as well say “game over.” After Thursday’s starter, Ryan Carpenter, surrendered six runs through the first five innings, the Tigers were doomed with an offense too weak to even try to muster a comeback.

Thursday afternoon is something that Detroit Tigers fans would hope to soon forget, but the fact that history was made at Comerica Park will always serve as a constant reminder of this abysmal performance. Los Angeles first baseman Albert Pujols launched a solo home run in the third inning to notch his 2,000th career RBI, joining one of the game’s most elite clubs, so a genuine congratulations to him for achieving such a high honor.

The Tigers will hope to move on from Thursday’s disappointment as they head to Minnesota to begin a four-game series with the Twins on Friday night.