It wasn't too long ago when the Tigers were scoring 20 runs in three games against the Oakland A's and people were wondering if their offense would score 1,000 runs this season.
But this is baseball and things don't often keep rolling along so smoothly for too long.
Since beating the Seattle Mariners 6-2 in the first game of that series on Tuesday, the Tigers have managed just three runs in their last 32 innings.
On Friday, they needed Miguel Cabrera's RBI single with two out in the ninth to avoid their second straight shutout, falling 8-1 to the Los Angeles Angels.
"This was really the first time all year, we just didn't play a good game, all around," Tigers manager Jim Leyland told FOX Sports Detroit's John Keating on the postgame show. "(Anibal) Sanchez was good, but we just didn't play a good game.
"We just couldn't come up with a big hit when we needed it. We just didn't play very well. It's kind of uncharacteristic. You just turn the page and move on."
Sanchez fell to 2-1 despite allowing only three runs (two earned) on 11 hits in 6 2/3 innings. His ERA in three starts is just 1.75. Like Justin Verlander against the Mariners Thursday, Sanchez didn't get any run support.
"I just tried to keep the score down and just waited for the run support," Sanchez told Keating. "But you have to give credit to (Tommy) Hanson. I think he throw a pretty good game.
"To throw a good game like that against this team, it's a pretty good job. We have to give some credit to them."
The Tigers were 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position and are 2 for their last 28. They grounded into three double plays in those situations, one of which was nearly a triple play until Jhonny Peralta beat out the throw at first.
"We didn't play the game the way we're capable of playing offensively," Torii Hunter said. "But I definitely think that (Saturday) will be totally different.
"(Friday) just didn't have that push, I don't know. There's 162 games, you're going to have games like that, those little funks."
The only real bright spot for Hunter and the Tigers was the reception Hunter got when he came to the plate in the first inning, his first at-bat against his former team.
Fans gave the effervescent Hunter a standing ovation.
"It's just a true testament of just treating people the way you want to be treated," Hunter said. "The way I carried myself, the way I played the game and the standing 'O' is a testament of how I played the game here."
Hunter and Leyland expect a better outing Saturday afternoon.
"We had a couple shots and that's all part of it. You just don't do it every night," Leyland said. "You just turn the page and move on."
