Yawn

At least some folks were cheering last night
The Tigers are actually doing us a favor. They're having their annual August swoon in June, thus saving us from another agonizing fall at the finish line.

That team I watched last night was a far cry from the patient, easy-going Tigers of a month ago. Only Austin Jackson and Cabrera seemed content at the plate. Everybody else was tense, swinging at everything. It's no surprise they only managed two walks all game. What separated the 2010 Tigers from previous incarnations was their ability to work the count. It was the Johnny Damon influence that he brought from the Red Sox and Yanks. Apparently, it's the other way around, as Damon is now acting like an '09 Tiger. At one point, Cleveland "ace" Jake Westbrook had a 4-pitch inning. Leyland should make those three Tiger batters run laps.

One lone bright spot is Alex Avila had a clutch pinch hit (and RBI). That's on the heels of a 2-hit day Monday. If he can somehow heat up, perhaps the bottom of the batting order may not be such a black hole. It's no secret that Laird is doing his best Timmy Lupus impression at the plate. It's time for Avila to force Leyland's hand and send Laird to the bench. With Brennan Boesch cooling down, the Tigers need another shot in the arm. Jackson provided it in April. Boesch took care of May. Will Avila step up in June?

By the way, the Tigers loss last night foiled another fine start by Bondermania. I've been a tad harsh on the young fella lately, but he has pitched well, especially his last six starts. Bondermania posted a sterling 1.33 ERA for the month of May. If he keeps it up, he may just warrant his $12.5 million salary!

By the way, part 2.... Tiger broadcaster Mario Impemba told a bizarre Leyland story last night. Apparently, Leyland was upset after the Tigers' loss to Oakland on Memorial Day. As he sat in bed eating his nightly chips and sodapop, Leyland thrashed about, sending his soda and chips everywhere. He was too upset to clean it up, so he slept in it. That, folks, is your Detroit Tigers manager.