Detroit Tigers Making Heartburn Medication Scarce in Michigan

The Tigers are bound and determined to keep this division race interesting.

First, it was the two week nose dive that they are just now (hopefully) coming out of, after they seemingly had the division tied up in a bow. And tonight, they made things interesting against the Indians.

After seven shutout innings from Edwin Jackson, who appeared to have his pitch-tipping problem solved, the Tigers' middle relief made things a little too tight for my liking.

Bobby Seay entered the game in the eighth and gave up two singles after recording the first out, giving way to Brandon Lyon. Lyon was able to force a fly out before the next two hitters, forcing in a run. He then struck out Luis Valbuena to end the inning.

Looking back, I guess it was only one bad inning. And it wasn't even that bad in the end, only one run scored, but it sure got my stomach churning. We've seen it before, the Tigers cling to a lead early on, but then can't quite hold on.

They were up five to two on the Royals before losing. They were up six to three against Toronto, and lost. They lead two to one in the eighth inning in Minnesota, but they lost that one too.

I'm sure I wasn't the only one to reach for the TUMS when the bases were loaded tonight in the eighth. Michigan area drugstores must be making a killing on heartburn relief medication these days (but I guess they need the sales with the state of the economy).

It's easy this time of year to lose baseball in the shuffle of sports.

The University of Michigan football team has the state in a tizzy as the team's potential morphs into reality. The train wreck that is the Detroit Lions continue to find new and inventive ways to lose games. The Red Wings prepare to begin a new season in pursuit of Lord Stanley's Cup.

But the Tigers are keeping us interested in baseball, in scoreboard watching, and in magical numbers, that ever-present nervous burn in our chests makes sure of it.

So all we can do is wait and watch and keep lots of Rolaids on hand. Because this race won't be decided until the bitter end.