Not only are the Tigers one loss away from the golf course, they are hobbling back into Boston with an injured Miguel Cabrera and a struggling Prince Fielder, who is batting .243 for the postseason with no home runs, no RBIs and three runs scored. If not for Detroit's pitching (which has been great at times), the Tigers might not even have won a game in this series.
This shouldn't be a total surprise. The Red Sox didn't get to be the American League's top team by mistake. They've got a loaded lineup, a strong pitching staff and a manager (John Farrell) who the players respect.
On paper, the Tigers could have matched the Red Sox in virtually every department. But Cabrera is nursing an injury, which is affecting his swing (he's batting .263 in the postseason after batting .348 during the regular season). And Fielder has been anemic when runners have been in scoring position for him. If Cabrera and Fielder aren't hitting and driving in runs, then the Tigers are in serious trouble.
If the Tigers are going to fall short of the World Series, at least they're going to go down with a fight. They have Max Scherzer going in Game 6 Saturday, and if they win they'll have Justin Verlander on the mound in Game 7. Those are good pitchers to have when your season is on the line.
But unless Fielder and Cabrera start producing at the plate, the Tigers are going to be whimpering their way back to Motown as the Red Sox celebrate their third AL title in the last decade.
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