Brad Ausmus didn’t want to say the Detroit Tigers’ backs were against the wall.
But as he sat in the home dugout before Monday night’s series opener against the Indians, he knew the numbers. The days, seven left in the season, were dwindling. Their opponent, the Indians, had beaten them all but twice in 15 games this season. There was champagne at Comerica Park – but not for his team.
“We gotta win baseball games,” Ausmus said.
For the third straight game, the Tigers could not. They are sliding again, at the most inopportune of times, and couldn’t keep the Indians from celebrating the American League Central division championship on their home turf.