Detroit Tigers’ Season Comes to An End

The Detroit Tigers went out scratching and clawing Sunday afternoon, but in the end, they were one critical hit short of beating the Baltimore Orioles.

As a fan, I had a love/hate relationship with the team this season. They were maddening to watch, but at the same time, that's what made them fun.

We knew we didn't have a good bullpen, but when it counted down the stretch, the bullpen came through. We knew we didn't have a good defense, yet for eight innings in game one of the American League Divisional Playoffs, the defense was flawless. We often left our starting pitchers without much support, and that was the case Sunday, as our beloved Tigers went out losing to the Baltimore Orioles, 2-1.

Finally getting some stellar pitching, the Tigers failed to get any runs for David Price, who threw six innings of shut out ball before coughing up a couple of runs in the sixth. The Tigers big bats were stymied by a journeyman pitcher named Bud Norris, who shut out the Tigers for six innings, before giving way to the O's tough bullpen.

Victor Martinez and J.D. Martinez hit back to back doubles off Orioles closer Zach Brittan to make it a ball game, until the bottom of the order left J.D. stranded and the game and the season came to an abrupt close.

Next season, it will probably be a vastly different Tiger team making the trip north in the spring. Ace starter Max Scherzer will seek out a better deal in free agency, and the bullpen will need to be reworked, so hopefully it will be better than the one that imploded in the playoffs.

But a good nucleus is returning, including Price, fellow starter Justin Verlander as well as Miggy Cabrera and the Martinez boys.

So here's to the boys of summer, and we'll see you in '15!