Tigers' return to All-Star Game spotlight lets fans down worse than expected

Tigers' fans hype for the All-Star Game was at an all-time high this year, and for good reason. Detroit sent four, then five, then six players to represent the American League, led by Tarik Skubal and Riley Greene. It was redemption and vindication for all of the other four in their own ways — Gleyber Torres, Javy Báez, Zach McKinstry, and Casey Mize. To make things even sweeter, Skubal was named the AL's starter after being passed over last year.

However, Tuesday's game started off on a sour note. Skubal was throwing gas, but he gave up two back-to-back singles to the top of the National League's lineup — Shohei Ohtani and Ronald Acuña Jr. — then a two-run double to Ketel Marte. Tigers fans could at least partially blame that on the fact that Skubal was inexplicably mic'd up during his inning, but there were fewer excuses for what followed.

By the time the last Tiger appeared — McKinstry in the top of the eighth — Tigers hitters had gone a combined 0-8 with three strikeouts. Skubal and Mize, who gave up a solo homer to Corbin Carroll in the sixth, combined for a 31.50 ERA.

And this came just days after the Tigers suffered a sweep at the hands of the Mariners. Ouch.

Tigers' six-man All-Star crew turn in a dud, go 0-8 with a 31.50 ERA in Atlanta

Torres led off for the NL, with Greene hitting right behind him, but neither made a dent. McKinstry was the only one to even make good contact with a ball, when he sent a Jacob Misiorowski slider into right field and the broadcast sort of made it look like it was going to be out of the park for a second. (If it had gone, it would've been a go-ahead three-run homer that would've completed McKinstry's redemption arc.)

Maybe they were still rattled from losing so badly to the Mariners just days prior, because the Tigers kind of looked lost out there among some of the best talent the game has to offer.

Tigers fans should still be proud of their guys — this is the most representatives the Tigers have sent to an All-Star Game since 2013, matching a bar set by some of the best teams Detroit has ever seen — but it's not exactly the good vibes, good mojo reset All-Star break we were looking for.