Javy Baez at the center of Tigers latest inept loss to Guardians

The Detroit Tigers got off to a strong start this season, winning each of their first five games of the season and finishing April with a 17-13 record. May has been a different story, however, as after winning on May 1 vs. the Cardinals, they proceeded to lose four of their next five entering play on Wednesday.

The Tigers were looking for a series win against the AL Central-leading Cleveland Guardians and held a 4-2 lead through seven, but runs in the eighth and ninth innings tied the game and sent it to extra innings. As unfortunate as it was to blow a late lead, at least the Tigers had a chance.

The Tigers had Javier Baez as their ghost runner as they looked to at the very least score one run. Unfortunately, he took just two pitches to make a base-running mistake.

For whatever reason, Baez froze on a ground ball hit to the left side rather than immediately go back to the base. Guardians shortstop Brayan Rocchio alertly threw behind Baez and Andres Gimenez slapped the tag on him for a huge first out of the inning. The Tigers did not score thanks in large part to that blunder.

In the bottom half, A.J. Hinch deployed a daring strategy of having five infielders with a runner on third base. The thinking there is to avoid a seeing-eye single. Well, Rocchio hit the ball to the outfield where nobody was playing and the Guardians emerged victorious.

Javier Baez continues to be worthless in Tigers latest embarrassing loss to Guardians

Losing on a hit to the outfield when you have five infielders in, but you can't fault Hinch too much for trying. Even if an outfielder was there, the Tigers would've likely lost the game. And you know what, they deserved to lose thanks to their blunder in the top half of the inning.

After going hitless in three at-bats in Wednesday's game, Baez is now slashing .176/.214/.241 with one home run and 12 RBI in 32 games played. He's appeared in all but five of Detroit's games yet has one home run all season.

Let's repeat. Javier Baez, a player signed in large part because of his bat, who has hit as many as 34 home runs in a single season, has one home run in over a month of action. He signed a six-year deal worth $140 million ahead of the 2022 season and entered play on Wednesday with a .619 OPS in a Tigers uniform. It's even lower now.

Baez embarrasses himself by swinging at pitches nowhere near the zone and is now an underwhelming base runner as well. This is a guy who used to have the most creative slides back when he was with the Chicago Cubs. Now, he's making mistakes little leaguers are taught not to make. At least Detroit is almost halfway through this contract, I guess?

Boy, did the Cubs dodge a bullet.