Tigers' series loss to Yankees can't kill new zen-like feeling of hope

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The Tigers lost to the Yankees yesterday, 4-2, dropping their first series at home in almost exactly a month (the Angels took two out of three at Comerica from May 26-28).

Old man Paul Goldschmidt — all respect to a potential future Hall of Famer — is somehow a Tarik Skubal killer. He homered twice. Jasson Domínguez hit a two-run bomb before Skubal's day was over. The Tigers' offense could only muster up two runs in response.

But I feel...fine? And I feel weird that I feel fine.

Maybe it's that the Yankees are the best team in the American League for a reason, as begrudging as I am to admit that (as begrudging as most Yankees fans are to admit that, in fact). Detroit still prevented a sweep with a win over Gerrit Cole in the opener. They're still 12-8 in June, which feels a lot better than May's 6-22.

I'll admit it, though — I was freaking out and wondering if the Tigers' success this month had any staying power as recently as their latest road trip, when they lost a series to the Guardians and then to the Astros.

Now I'm...kinda zen.

Tigers' series loss to Yankees is far from the worst thing that's happened to this team in 2026

The plodding length of the baseball season makes it impossible to be angry all the time. Sometimes we need to look at the losses, shrug, and move onto the next if we want to maintain any semblance of sanity. (Though one could argue that the violent mood swings are in themselves a sign that sanity is already gone.)

It's not so much resignation as it is being able to step back from the absolute fit of pique we were all collectively embroiled in throughout May, take a breath, and say, "At least it's not that bad anymore."

Is it hope creeping back in? Maybe. The Tigers started the month 11 games back of the Guardians and are now 7.5 games back of both the Guardians and the White Sox in first.

Of course, I wish they were moving up faster. I wish we could've taken this series from the Yankees. I'm still mad at AJ Hinch more often than not. But even those who are still in the "it's so over" part of the cycle have to admit it: things are getting better. Slowly.

There's still a lot of time for things to get bad again, sure. But if a .600 June proves to be an oasis this season, I'm going to enjoy it while I can.

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