Did Detroit Tigers call out fans on Twitter?

DETROIT – Baseball seasons are long, and disagreements are bound to have over a 162-game marathon. That frustration appeared to boil over for the Detroit Tigers' Twitter account Thursday as the Tigers struggled to beat the lowly Minnesota Twins in a crucial game at Comerica Park.

The Tigers tweeted a GIF of a young fan throwing a his souvenir baseball back toward the field with the caption, "Tossing this back as if it's your negativity."

Shots fired.

Most team Twitter accounts post GIFs to promote their players or attempt to generate discussion about the game, but the Tigers' account had apparently had enough.

Frustration from Tigers fans has grown as the team dips into another slump during its most important stretch of games. After tying Baltimore for the final wildcard spot Friday, the Tigers dropped back-to-back games to the Orioles and are on the verge of splitting a four-game home series with the worst team in baseball.

Yes, fans are frustrated. The Tigers have been a streaky team all season, losing 10 of 13 games in August and 11 of 12 games in May. Streakiness has created a slight distrust between the Tigers and fans.

According to Miguel Cabrera, the team has noticed.

"I've been playing here a lot of years, so to me it doesn't matter what people say," Cabrera told reporters Wednesday after the team's 9-6 win over Minnesota. "But (there are) a lot of new guys here ... They think about it and they read it, so like I said, we need to stay positive and go out there and play."

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The positivity didn't last long after Cabrera's plea. When starting pitcher Mike Pelfrey got pulled in the second inning of a rough performance Thursday, he did so to a shower of boos from the Comerica Park crowd.

As the Tigers continue to trail, it appears there's enough frustration to go around.