DETROIT -- Yes, but? Not this time.
If you are tempted to say "yes, but consider the opposition" in the wake of what the Tigers did to the Minnesota Twins this week, don't be.
After seeing what we just saw, it wouldn't be fair.
When any team plays as well as the Tigers just did, it deserves complete credit, no matter who the drubbing was against.
That said, we can't afford to be blind about the Twins.
They might indeed turn out to be one of the all-time worst teams. From the looks of it, with Joe Mauer not being close to the hitter he once was, the Twins are not particularly strong anywhere -- except, perhaps, at closer with Glen Perkins.
But they might not need Perkins all that often.
The Twins won't be a powerhouse, that's for sure.
But until the Tigers prove that they won't be one themselves, at least let them enjoy the spoils of the dominance they just demonstrated.
And for as long as it lasts, you might as well enjoy it, too.
Besides, you don't often get to witness the sheer one-sidedness of what took place.
The Tigers destroyed the Twins in three consecutive games at Comerica Park -- the first three of the regular season.
They flat-out embarrassed them by scores of 4-0, 11-0 and 7-1.
In the process, the Tigers played nearly perfect baseball in all three games.
They hit. They pitched. And except for the lapse that accounted for the Twins' only run, the Tigers played excellent defense as well.
The Twins didn't even get to third base, let alone score, until their walk-double-error combination in the seventh inning of Thursday's rain-delayed game.
As it was pointed out on the Tigers' telecast, a rookie manager often saves his first smile for his first victory.
Minnesota's Paul Molitor didn't have a victory to smile about, though. All he had was a run -- but at least he had that, or else he wouldn't have changed his understandably dour expression the entire series.
With their first trip of the season beckoning, the Tigers no doubt forgot about the Twins' series as soon as it was over, though -- because it was off to Cleveland for them.
To play an Indians team that will be a lot stronger than the Twins.
Or at least should be.
That's not to say the Tigers are suddenly going to look different -- or even look suddenly beatable -- simply because they're leaving home to face better teams than they just did.
At the same time, there is no way the Tigers can continue to be as good as they've already been.
What their dominance has earned them, though, is some slack. Let's see how good they are. Let's see how exciting they're going to be -- or if they're going to be exciting at all.
Let's also see what they do against quality teams in Cleveland and in Pittsburgh on this trip.
What I'm saying is that we shouldn't respond to the Minnesota series by accusing the Twins of being awful louder than we credit the Tigers for playing well.
As they continue to establish what kind of team they're going to be, the Tigers need not apologize for beating a team as bad as the Twins.
They beat them too soundly for the usual "yes, but" skepticism to be a fair response.
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