DETROIT – If you asked any Detroit Tigers fan before the season whether they would be happy with a 6-3 start, pretty much every one of them would have said yes.
But not all 6-3s are created equal.
Just a few days ago, Detroit was the last undefeated team in baseball, with a perfect 5-0 record and a 1-0 lead over the Mets heading into the bottom of the ninth inning.
Since then, it’s been ugly.
That late loss to the Mets hurt, but the Tigers still won the series, and the vibes were strong as they came back to Detroit for Opening Day at Comerica Park.
Even when they blew a 3-0 lead to the hapless Oakland Athletics with Tarik Skubal on the mound, the Tigers still found a way to win their home opener and improve to 6-1.
This weekend, though? Give me a break.
The Tigers put forth an embarrassing effort against perhaps the worst team in all of MLB. They were shut out by Paul Blackburn in a 4-0 loss Saturday and then got blitzed 7-1 in the rubber match.
Joe Boyle, who allowed seven earned runs and 12 base runners in his first start of the season, shut the Tigers out for five innings Sunday, allowing just two hits while striking out six.
Sure, the Tigers’ offense was a concern heading into 2024, but it’s been far worse than even the most pessimistic fans could have expected.
And although he was the victim of some bad luck on Sunday, Jack Flaherty’s poor start against a terrible lineup made it two straight hiccups for the newcomers in the starting rotation.
Detroit’s bullpen is excellent, but if the hitters can’t hit and the starters can’t even hold up against Oakland, there won’t be many high-leverage innings to go around.
Three days ago, I wrote that the warning signs with the Tigers were obvious, but that they needed to stack early victories any way possible against a weak schedule.
Well, the tide took a turn for the worse much earlier than expected.
The Tigers were really fun to watch for a week, but a series loss to the Athletics is the quickest way possible to burst everyone’s bubble.
Now the Tigers will have to try to get back on track against a much more difficult schedule.