AJ Hinch finally admits what every Tigers fan knows as AL Central lead shrivels

The Detroit Tigers are in danger of blowing what was once a 15½-game lead in the American League Central division. After being swept by the Cleveland Guardians, Detroit entered a new series on Friday against the Atlanta Braves looking to take care of business. But the Tigers did anything but that.

Charlie Morton had a rough day, allowing six runs in the first two innings and Detroit lost by a final score of 10-1. After Saturday's loss, the Tigers have now dropped five games in a row and eight of nine. The AL Central standings have been completely flipped on their head, with the Guardians just once game back of the Tigers entering Sunday's games.

Everything is going wrong for Detroit offensively, pitching-wise, and even in the announcer’s booth. Following the Guardians sweep, manager AJ Hinch got real about his team’s struggles. And then he was really speechless after Saturday's loss.

Tigers manager AJ Hinch isn’t shying away from the harsh reality facing Detroit

Looking back on Hinch’s no-nonsense approach to his comments after the Guardians series, it’s surprising that the Tigers were so bad on Friday. Per The Athletic’s Cody Stavenhagen (subscription required), Hinch didn’t sugarcoat anything about how the Tigers are playing lately.

“We got our (expletive) kicked in pretty much every aspect, and they swept us. Obviously, in the big picture, (the sweep is) very disappointing. We come every day to win, and we like winning series, and we know how important these games are. We got some work ahead of us to do this right.”

When Hinch was asked by a reporter about having to go through adversity to “make the champagne taste a little sweeter," Hinch’s reply was both cold and hilarious. “No, you don’t,” Hinch interjected. “Whoever told you that is lying.”

Hinch’s direct and stinging approach to discussing his team’s recent failures didn’t do anything to light a fuse against Atlanta. They dropped the first two games of that series and Hinch again delivered a bit of an alarming soundbyte.

What Detroit really needs is a breakout day from its offense, which has scored just seven times over the past 36 innings. Not only would a high-scoring effort from the Tigers’ bats result in a much-needed win, but it would do much to ease the tensions in Detroit’s clubhouse at the moment. The Tigers must be loose and confident entering a rematch series with the Guardians in a few days, or they’ll be in real trouble. 

Cleveland, seemingly staring at a lost season in July, hung tough through the summer doldrums and suddenly has a world of momentum. The Guardians haven’t forgotten how far they advanced in the 2024 postseason. Confidence isn’t lacking.

Hinch must feel like he’s tried every idea possible to galvanize his team. At a certain point, the players need to step up and put an end to poor play.