Sometimes, you're the broom. Sometimes, you're the dirt.  Sweeping the Yankees at Yankee Stadium doesn't seem quite so grand after getting swept in turn by the Twins at the Metrodome.  And the way in which the Tigers lost all three games was disturbing enough to make Jim Leyland consider "drastic" changes.  More on that later.

Detroit jumped on Boof Bonser from the start, with Curtis Granderson hitting a leadoff home run.  And that was just the beginning.  The Tigers tagged five more runs on the scoreboard from there, taking a 6-0 lead and seemingly on their way to a blowout victory.  Unfortunately, after that first inning, everyone in the Detroit dugout apparently felt like they could take the rest of the day off. 

Bonser pulled himself together and somehow stayed in the game for five more innings, allowing just two hits.  Only one Tigers batter reached scoring position after that first inning, until Granderson stole second base in the ninth.  That allowed the Twins to mount a comeback in a game that looked over early, chipping away at Kenny Rogers until he finally ran out of gas in the seventh.

However, Rogers would've gotten out of the inning had Carlos Guillen not let Nick Punto's ground ball through his legs.  That opened the gate, and the Twins were off.  Zach Miner came in and reminded all of us why we figured he'd be sent down to Toledo when Francisco Cruceta was ready.  He only faced two batters, and both of them got hits, bringing in two Minnesota runs.  (And at least one more would've scored had Brendan Harris' deep drive to left field not bounced into the seats for a ground-rule double.)  That, ladies and gentleman, was the game.  The Tigers' lineup had already turned the switch off and wasn't going to start it up again. 

Drastic Fantastic?

Sinking back into the malaise that has plagued them throughout this series brings us to Leyland's promise to make some changes to his lineup.  Does that mean anyone is getting benched?  (That sound you hear is the collective hands of Tiger Town rubbing its hands together, hoping Jacque Jones takes a seat.)  Probably not, since Leyland said the lineup would have the "same pieces, but different."  But he promised we'd see quite a difference tomorrow. 

The Detroit News' Tom Gage thinks that might mean Gary Sheffield is moved down in the batting order, but that doesn't really seem "drastic," does it?  As usual, Billfer  seems to be onto something at The Detroit Tigers Weblog.  His idea is to push Sheffield up to the leadoff spot, while sliding Granderson to the middle of the order, two moves that make a whole lot of sense.

Sheffield's lack of power (or any kind of hitting, really) wouldn't be as much of an issue atop the order, where his ability to draw a walk (.340 OBP) and savvy baserunning would still help the Tigers even if that trick shoulder wasn't allowing him to "fire."  Meanwhile, Granderson has been swinging a Big Boi bat since returning from his broken hand, and would likely have many more RBIs than his current seven if his home runs and extra base hits came with more runners on base in front of him. 

I'd also be in favor of a new left fielder, whether it was Marcus Thames, Ryan Raburn, or the return of Clete Thomas.  Even if Jones is currently at the bottom of the order, that ninth spot doesn't have to be the black hole that it's been with him batting there.  Nor does there have to be a turnstile at third base, with opposing runners flying through, knowing that they won't be thrown out at home.

No need for a long recap tonight, is there?  This one was all about the long ball.  The Tigers' bats finally look like they're shaking off that early spring chill.  Initially, the only problem was that the home runs came with no one on base.  Gary Sheffield, Magglio Ordonez, and Carlos Guillen each hit solo shots to put Detroit on the scoreboard.  But Justin Morneau struck a big blow in the sixth with a two-run blast off Nate Robertson.  That seemed like it might be the decisive moment of the game, until the fans at Comerica Park finally got an idea of why Miguel Cabrera is expected to be Detroit's Next Top Baseball Superstar.

As you probably know (unless you tried to shield yourself from the ugly truth), Cabrera came into the game batting .205/.300/.318 with one home run and three RBIs.  But with three hits in his previous two games, maybe it was finally starting to heat up.  Tonight, it all came together when both Cabrera and his team probably needed it most.  With Ordonez on second base, Cabrera sent a 1-2 pitch from Jesse Crain into the Tigers bullpen.  And for the second straight night, Detroit called it a comeback. 

If there's a pun, I suppose it's intended, but isn't it a relief to see the other team's bullpen cough up two games in a row?  (Let's not talk about Todd Jones giving up that deep fly to Delmon Young which Ryan Raburn kept in the park, but couldn't quite keep in his glove...)

Two-game series or not, a sweep is a sweep.  And winning their first series of the season comes at a great time, with the Tigers heading to Cleveland for the next two games.  How might that AL Central race look by Friday?

How long had it been since we watched the Detroit Tigers really flex their muscles and score some runs?  How long had it been since falling behind didn't automatically mean the Tigers would lose the game?  Where was the aggression?  Where was the passion?  Where was the desire to win?

For one night (and hopefully many more to come), it all came back.  And so did the Tigers in this game.  Twice, actually.  Oh, baby - how good did that feel? 

Are you familiar with the Marvel Comics version of The Mighty Thor?  (And yes, I'm quite aware of how geeky this blog has been today, using two images of Marvel superheroes.)  To teach him humility, the Thunder God's father banished him to Earth, giving him the body of not just a mortal man, but a disabled one who required a cane to walk.  That has been the Tigers' offense this season, most especially over the past two games. 

Humbled by his condition, everything changes when the mortal man is confronted by an adverse situation in which he truly needs his power.  At that point, Dr. Donald Blake strikes his cane against a surface.  The cane becomes the hammer Mjolnir (which I still can't pronounce, some 25 years after reading those comic books), and the crippled man becomes The Mighty Thor, God of Thunder.

The Tigers underwent a similar transformation tonight against the Minnesota Twins.  But you're excused if you missed it.  Most of this game looked like another exercise in total frustration.  Detroit errors led to Minnesota runs.  And once again, the Tigers' lineup wasn't scoring any of their own.  But with the score 5-0, something happened.  Batters started to string together consecutive hits, moving runners around the bases.  And then finally, the 24-inning run drought was over.  The Tigers scored a run!  Then they scored two more!  And another (though Carlos Guillen's limp around third base almost didn't let it happen).

After giving their fans hope with the comeback, however, the Tigers had the kind of inning that could make you want to kick a small animal.  Jeremy Bonderman gave up two hits and was taken out of the game.  Then Bobby Seay - who had been Detroit's best reliever to this point - came in and had the sort of meltdown we've become painfully familiar with.  After walking his first batter, Seay gave up three straight hits which brought in four more Minnesota runs.  Once again, Leyland left another reliever out there to hang.  The score was 9-4, and you were more than justified in disgustedly turning your TV off or switching over to the Red Wings game.

If you did, however, you missed something good.  You missed a Pudge line drive bounce off Denard Span's glove for a home run.  And an inning later, you missed the Tigers' lineup become a buzzsaw again, slamming a barrage of extra base hits all over the field.  Doubles and triples, oh my!  Rockets to right and center field.  Aggressive baserunning!  Huzzah!  Almost every starter got a hit tonight, and the one that didn't - Jacque Jones - was robbed on a great running catch by Delmon Young. 

Perhaps most impressive was that the chalk outline left on the pitching mound after the explosion was that of Pat Neshek, who had a 2.35 ERA against Detroit (with 20 strikeouts in 15 1/3 innings).  Once the damage was done, the Tigers actually had a lead to give to their closer.  Todd Jones kept it typically interesting by putting two runners on base, but ultimately got that third out.

What a double-fisted comeback.  Is this the sort of rally that can turn a struggling team around?  A lot of us will say so and hope so.  The Tigers still committed many of the same blunders that have left them with the worst record in baseball.  But for one night, at least, their offense overcame all of it.  And that's what we've been waiting go see.

Last week, the Tigers only managed two hits against Brian Bannister, and today, all they could muster was four hits off Daisuke Matsuzaka.  Kenny Rogers, Detroit's starting pitcher in both of those games, might now be wondering whether or not he puts his lineup to sleep. 

Maybe he has that grandfatherly effect on his teammates, like how your eyelids might get heavy when your grandpa tells you the story of how he came to choose the particular pickled bologna he just sliced for you.  He used to like to go to that grocery store closer to the condo, but their deli just doesn't have that much selection.  All they have is turkey.  Why all the turkey?  The only time he really eats turkey is on Thanksgiving.  And even then, he prefers to get it from that one farm up north because their birds are free-range, so they taste better.  But anyway, he found a place on the west side of town that has a great deli.  All kinds of bologna.  Mortadella.  The German stuff with the garlic.  And pickled!  They had four different kinds, and the butcher was nice enough to let him try each one, until he finally found the one he liked.  A good, strong one that can stand up to a spicy mustard and that rye bread your grandmother found at the farmer's market.  Say, are you getting enough sleep?  Because you look kind of tired...

To me, the Tigers looked lethargic out there today.  Maybe it was the after-effects of sitting through the Red Sox's World Series ring ceremony, one in which Boston championship teams from other sports also participated.  Or perhaps that creeping feeling of resignation sunk in once it became clear that Rogers really didn't have his good stuff today, giving up four hits and two walks in his first two innings. 

Detroit had that same listlessness in the field, too.  Or was it that the Tigers were trying too hard to make a play once they fell behind?  In the third inning, Placido Polanco made his first error in 186 games when he tried to throw out Manny Ramirez (who should've been out after gazing admiringly at his long drive to center field) at third base, but skipped the ball in the dirt.  One inning later,  Miguel Cabrera committed an error of his own.  And once again, Carlos Guillen looked as if he'd just been moved over from shortstop to first base, standing in the baseline and straddling the bag, putting himself in a position where the runner may have prevented him from scooping up a low throw.  Had Guillen ever looked this lost in the previous games he'd played at first base?  I certainly don't recall it. 

Unfortunately, going on the road doesn't seem to have changed a thing.  This team is still in the same malaise they slogged through last week at Comerica Park.  Maybe Jim Leyland should consider locking his players in the visiting clubhouse with the fearsome, mouse-devouring Fenway hawk.  If that hasn't crossed his mind yet, it probably should.

(Image from "Heart of the City" © 2006 Mark Tatulli)

You don't really want to read a recap of that game, do you?  Because I sure as hell don't feel like writing it.

Just two pitches in, it became clear what kind of night it was going to be for the Tigers when Nick Swisher blasted a Justin Verlander pitch down the right field line.  And even though Detroit came back to tie the game, it was all downhill from there.  The White Sox blew the game open in the sixth after Carlos Guillen (future Gold Glove first baseman, according to Joe Morgan) dropped the ball at first base (and again on Carlos Quentin's three-run triple in the ninth), but the tone was set from the very beginning.  Right away, the Tigers had to play catch up, just as they have throughout these first six games of the season.

Oh, and they hit into five double plays.  Nothing like helping Mark Buehrle - the type of soft-tossing lefty the Tigers pounded last year - look like a pitching magician.  And if not for a couple of Joe Crede errors, he might have thrown a shutout.

This team definitely need an off-day and a road trip right now.  Get away from the booing fans and home crowd expectations.  Huddle up together, without the comforts of home and family.  Have the routine shaken up, and maybe it'll make these guys a little mean and cranky. 

Is that wishful thinking?  Probably, but after that kind of nationally televised humiliation, there's not much else to work with.

First of all, thanks to everyone who posted comments in the first Game Thread of the season.  I know we have a long (long) way to go before we catch up to several of the other SB Nation communities out there.  (Look at what Royals Review did today.)  But for the fledgling BYB brigade, this was a fantastic start.  Hopefully, it wasn't just the dazzle of Opening Day that brought everyone out.  If we keep this up and build on the discussion, we're going to have a lot of fun around here this season.

The weather favored the Tigers today.  Not only didn't it rain on the Opening Day Comerica Park crowd, but a national audience to see this game as the Jays-Yankees opener from Yankee Stadium was rained out, and ESPN switched over to Royals-Tigers.  Unfortunately for Detroit, the home team didn't show off that winning growl this afternoon, despite an excellent opportunity to tie the game (and perhaps win) in the 11th inning.

Oh No - The Bullpen:

The best thing for the Tigers' bullpen in the first game of the season would've been to protect a lead, come out in succession - Zach Miner in the 7th, Denny Bautista in the 8th, Todd Jones in the 9th - and give everyone some assurance about the late-inning relief.  The bullpen was indeed handed a lead, but couldn't hold onto it.  In fairness, Jason Grilli came into a difficult situation in the 7th, with runners on first and third and no outs.  (Of course, he didn't have to serve up that fat a pitch to John Buck...)  After Bobby Seay got his designated left-handed hitter out, Aquilino Lopez made a decent pitch to Mark Grudzielanek, who smoked it to the opposite field.

Maybe you could second-guess Jim Leyland's choice of relievers in that 7th inning, but in a situation where the Tigers were likely to give up a run, maybe he wanted to see if he could get away with saving his best set-up men for late in the game.  If he had to do it all over again, however, I wonder if Leyland would've brought in Miner or Bautista for that situation.

He Giveth and Taketh Away:

We saw some of the best and maybe the worst of Brandon Inge in center field today.  The Royals threatened to blow the game open in the 8th when Inge dove for a Mark Teahen drive into the left-center gap.  It's hard to fault a guy for making an all-out effort like that, but when it comes to diving for a ball, you have to pick and choose your spots carefully.  Maybe Inge thought he had a chance to make the catch, but on TV, that ball looked three to four feet beyond his reach.  Better to let the ball drop and keep the batter to a single than to give up extra bases trying to make an impossible play.  Fortunately, the Royals stranded Teahen at third base.

Inge got Teahen back in the 11th, however, gunning him down at home plate when he tried to score on a single, and kept the ballgame tied.

Tiger Power: 

Miguel Cabrera's first home run in the Olde English D might be what more people talk about tonight and tomorrow, but Carlos Guillen brought his Big Boi bat today.  Detroit's new first baseman went 3-for-5, and probably provided the most dramatic hit of the day when he tied the game in the eighth with a solo home run (showing off a classic, power-hitting first baseman's swing) off Brett Tomko.