DETROIT -- The Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, established in the late 1960s, include a section on rear-view visibility. It includes a requirement for the convex mirrors used in rear and side view mirrors to include a permanent mark noting: “Objects in Mirror Are Closer Than They Appear.”
It’s a simple but practical warning to not be fooled by the curvature of the mirror, and its inclusion has long been standard practice on the assembly lines around the Motor City, home of the Detroit Tigers. As summer winds down and the stretch run of the Major League season begins, it could double as a subtle caution for the American League Central leaders.
Not that the Tigers needed to glance outside their passenger-side windows for a reminder in the wake of Wednesday’s 9-4 loss to the Twins. The passing lane remains much clearer than what they’ll normally see on their drive to Comerica Park, but the traffic is back there.
Detroit’s sixth defeat in its past seven series -- since being swept by the Mariners heading into the All-Star break -- also marked the Tigers’ 16th loss in 23 games since July 9, when they entered the day with a 14-game division lead. With the Guardians completing a sweep of the Mets on Wednesday at Citi Field, that division gap is down to six games, the narrowest since June 5.
It remains by far the largest lead of any division in the Majors. Likewise, the Tigers still have the best division title odds of any MLB team, now at 94 percent according to Fangraphs despite the recent stretch. Their 97.1 percent playoff odds are the highest in the American League, and trail just the Dodgers, Brewers and Cubs in the Majors.
Still, if any team knows better than to find comfort in percentages, no matter how data-driven, it’s the Tigers, who turned their 0.2 percent playoff chances from last August into a rallying cry on their incredible late-season charge to a Wild Card berth and a postseason run.
The Tigers were bound for a dropoff from their amazing start. As manager A.J. Hinch pointed out last month, every team -- even his powerhouse Astros in 2017 and 2019 -- goes through a rough stretch that can test their mettle. Keeping the focus on each day’s game is the key to maintaining perspective and regaining success.
On Wednesday, Hinch’s postgame comments marked a slightly more critical tone. Having seen his team drop a winnable series against a team that dealt away nearly a dozen players leading into last week’s Trade Deadline, Hinch wasn’t dismissive when presented with the numbers of their recent stretch.
“It doesn’t sound great, does it, when you put it that way,” Hinch said. “I mean, we didn’t do enough to win the game and win the series. Obviously they did, so it kind of depends on your perspective. But we’ve got a lot of work to do, and we’ve got a lot of things to address.
“Right now we’re taking it on the chin in games. At least in the last week, we’ve been riding this roller coaster of good and bad over the course of a few series. This one’s frustrating because it’s a series that we feel like we can win if we perform. And when you don’t at this level, you’re reminded why it’s the toughest level.”
When asked if Cleveland’s recent success adds more urgency to the situation, Hinch pointed the focus inward, not to the rear view.
“We better worry about ourselves,” he said. “I think that’s something that this group is pretty good at. I mean, we haven’t once talked about anything external. I don’t care if you have a one-game lead or a 20-game lead. If we don’t play good baseball, I’m going to sit up here and tell you we’ve got to play better.
“I’ve been very, very consistent that you’ve got to play your 162 [games]. We haven’t done it yet. We’re going to, and we’re going to get tested.”
Players didn’t need to check the standings or the rear-view mirror to get the message.
“Obviously we’re not playing up to our capabilities, and everybody knows that,” catcher Dillon Dingler said. “But when we were going through it last week and the week before that, still nobody’s really pressing. It’s going to come up quick here, so we have to make sure that we take care of it.”