by
Reese Olson pitched great for a while until he didn't.
The Detroit Tigers were dragging a little heading into the All-Star Game earlier this month with a four-game losing streak. Then came the All-Star Game—a contest Detroiters were particularly excited and proud about because six Tigers were on the roster.
But the Tigers were embarrassingly lame in that game, going a collective 0-for-8. And the two star pitchers gave up half of the six runs allowed by the American League team.
Now, the Tigers, who were the best in the majors are playing like the worst.
They just plain suck. Sure, they still have one of the better records in the majors and are eight games ahead of second-place Cleveland. But that lead isn't likely to last if the downward trajectory continues.
It's hard watching them play. In fact, it's simply not fun.
The TV announcers kept saying the other day that they'll come home, hit the reset button, and turn it around. That seemed possible when the Tigers were leading Toronto Thursday night, 1-0, at Comerica Park—until Toronto started scoring. And scoring. They eventually led 11-1.
In the bottom of the ninth, the Tigers finally got some runs, resulting in an 11-4 loss—their 10th in the last 11 games.
Losing streaks happen to even the best of teams in baseball. “It's a long season,” my friend Marty Greenberg always reminds me. The Dodgers went through a rough patch. But this one is very rough.
No hitting. Spotty pitching. Riley Greene is striking out way too much. Javier Báez, who was shining in the first half of the season, is starting to look like the Báez of old—swinging at pitches far outside the strike zone.
Then there's Parker Meadows, who, so far, has been a big disappointment at the plate.
All this should make the team all the more anxious to pick up some players before the trade deadline.
It's so frustrating. Last year, at the beginning of the season, after the Tigers lost so many games, I canceled my FanDuel subscription in protest.
Lately, I've been thinking about doing that again -- or certainly not watching for little while.
Will they come back?
We can only hope.
If not, the Detroit Lions’ exhibition season starts soon.
