Detroit Tigers Lead MLB in Late-Game Collapses as Bullpen Continues to Sink Playoff Hopes

Stop me if you've heard this one before: the Detroit Tigers blow another game because of an incompetent bullpen.

At this point, most Tigers fans probably wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat, reliving the nightmares they've endured this season watching late leads disappear. Detroit has now blown 17 games after leading in the seventh inning or later, the most in Major League Baseball.

It's been a frustrating season for the Tigers, who currently sit at 50-56, six games under .500. That record leaves them six games behind in the American League Central and 3.5 games back of the final Wild Card spot, currently held by division rival Cleveland.

With just 56 games remaining on the schedule, the season already feels like it's on fire for Detroit. The Tigers are desperately trying to control the flames while somehow steering the ship back toward the postseason. Unfortunately, it's nearly impossible to keep a flaming ship on course when your own crew keeps jumping overboard at the last minute.

That's exactly what it has felt like watching Detroit blow 17 games they led in during the seventh inning or later. Not only is that the most in baseball, but it's also three more than the next closest teams.

For context, here are the five teams with the most blown leads after the seventh inning this season:

It's almost unbelievable to look back through the Tigers' schedule and realize that more than 16% of their games have ended in a loss despite holding a late lead.

That statistic became even more painful after Sunday's loss at home to one of the league's worst teams. Detroit rallied in the fifth inning to take a 4-3 lead and appeared to be in control heading into the eighth. Then the bullpen struck again. Drew Sommers surrendered a two-run home run, ultimately sealing another heartbreaking defeat.

With doomsday seemingly arriving in Detroit every other night, let's jump into a different universe for a moment.

Not one where the Tigers won all 17 of those games. Not even two-thirds of them. Let's say they simply held on to half. We'll even round down and give them just eight additional victories instead of 8.5.

In that universe, Detroit would be sitting at 58-48 instead of 50-56. That translates to a .547 winning percentage, which would place the Tigers atop the American League Central and among the best teams in the American League.

It's easy to see why manager A.J. Hinch has referred to this club multiple times as "a good team with a bad record." In many ways, that statement still feels accurate.

Since June 1, the Tigers have played some outstanding baseball and have posted some of the league's better numbers. At the same time, they also suffered through one of the worst months in franchise history during May, making this season one of the strangest campaigns the organization has experienced in years.

That inconsistency has carried over into every aspect of the club. Even at the trade deadline, Detroit seemed unsure of exactly what direction it wanted to take. Following the deadline, the Tigers came out with renewed energy, winning four of their first two series before splitting with the Kansas City Royals.

Now comes the difficult part.

Detroit faces an uphill battle over the final two months, and with little certainty coming from the bullpen, it's hard to imagine the road getting any smoother. Every game matters from this point forward, and every late lead has become a white-knuckle experience for fans.

The Tigers simply can't afford to let many more games slip away. If they have any hope of climbing back into the postseason race, protecting late leads has to become the expectation rather than the exception. Until that happens, this season will continue to feel like one long nightmare that Detroit just can't seem to wake up from.