Spencer Torkelson sunnysiding Tigers’ mortifying slide isn’t reassuring fans

Tuesday night marks the start of the most important series of the season for the Detroit Tigers. After spending most of the season as the best team in baseball, the Tigers suddenly find themselves barely holding onto their lead atop the American League Central with less than a week before the end of the season. The team right on the heels of the Tigers is the Cleveland Guardians, and they will be hosting Detroit the next three days.

Entering play Tuesday night, the Tigers hold a one-game lead over the Guardians. Just last week, the Tigers had a 6.5-game lead over the Guardians, and it was just at the start of September that Detroit had a 10.5-game cushion. What ensued was the Tigers going 5-12 during the first three weeks of the month while the Guardians have been one of the hottest teams in baseball with a mark of 16-5 over the same span.

Needless to say, Tigers fans aren't exactly enjoying this final push for the playoffs. Even as Spencer Torkelson tried to reassure fans over the weekend, it seems like his words didn't match the urgency with which the Tigers have been playing. Torkelson did say that the Tigers are really close to snapping the slump they've been in, but haven't been playing bad baseball.

“We’re obviously in a little funk, but we’re not playing bad baseball. It’s really close, and I think we need to stay positive and trust that we’re one click away from getting hot. Keep fighting.”

Spencer Torkelson tried to calm fans but the Tigers just keep collapsing

To be fair, Torkelson is doing his part this month with three home runs and a 129 wRC+ in 76 plate appearances, but the larger issue is that the moves Scott Harris has made at the deadline have backfired tremendously. Short of Kyle Finnegan, the deadline was a disaster for Harris and, above all, that appears to be at the center of Detroit's collapse this month.

If there were a time for the Tigers to get right, now would be it. They no longer have room for error, as there's a chance they wake up on Friday morning no longer holding onto a playoff spot. Keep fighting, indeed.