Detroit — For more than two months, it didn't appear the Tigers were playing the part of a rebuilding bunch.
The youthful Tigers sat at 36-37 on June 17, a game under .500, but just 2.5 games behind the the front-running Cleveland Indians in the American League Central. The Tigers were riding a five-game winning streak, and boasting the never-say-die spunk they showed in April and May.
But reality hit, and it hit hard. Hitting the meat-grinder portion of their schedule that included series against the Indians, Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros — all division leaders — the Tigers went 5-20 from June 18 to the All-Star break.