Or was it Max-nificent?

Scherzer got into a little fifth inning jam on Monday night, putting two on with no out. He then struck out Manny Machado and Nick Markakis. But after Adam Jones reached on a weak infield single, the stage was set for a little showdown with Chris Davis, who leads all of baseball in dingers and hit one earlier in the game.

Scherzer hit 98 just off (on?) the black a couple times and then finally got Davis flailing on a tailing 97 MPH. Scherzer showed some emotion.

Scherzer is currently in line to be the first Tigers pitcher EVER to start a season 10-0. He struck out 10 in 6 innings, an absolute blue collar gem.

Remember when it seemed like the overwhelming majority of Tigers fans and the media were clamoring for 24-year-old Rick Porcello to get traded, so second-year lefty Drew Smyly could squeeze into the rotation? Can you imagine the added outrage over the Tigers' bullpen if future starter Smyly (2.09 ERA, 39K in 38.2 IP) wasn't in it?

Yeahhhhh, it never made any sense, and now Rick Porcello has been every bit of brilliant as the rest of the Tigers rotation. Thanks to seven shutout innings on Friday night, Porcello's ERA is now 2.84 over his last nine starts (down to 4.37 overall). His last four starts have been much like his dominant spring training, actually even better, striking out 30 in 27 innings with a 1.33 ERA.

This rotation is outrageously contagious:

Over the last 20GS - 4 times thru the rotation - #Tigers starters have allowed more than 3ER once, starters have 2.28ERA, and avg'd 7IP/GS

— Dan Dickerson (@Dan_Dickerson) June 15, 2013

The best cure for a shaky bullpen? A rotation as steadily consistent as the Tigers'.

New rule: If Rod Allen says a team can't stop Don Kelly, drink a keg.

But Don Kelly really is en fuego. He's hitting 7-for-15 with runners in scoring position (2-for-6 in those situations with two outs), according to Jason Beck. He's 5-for-7 in his last 9 plate appearances with five RBI, including that game winning three-run dinger on Sunday. That's almost quite literally unstoppable at the plate. Start chugging.

[above pic via WorldofIsaac]

I did not post this Sunday night, because it deserves to be re-lived on (late) Monday night.

ESPN was doing a lot of slobbering over Cabrera throughout the night, but it was much deserved. Cabrera is now hitting .387 this season with 11 HR and 47 RBI. SCHWING. In his last 162 games, he has a .351 average with 122 runs, 47 HR, and 152 RBI. That's pretty good. SCHWING. SCHWING.

Cabrera became just the fourth Tiger ever to hit three homers in multiple games, joining Bobby Higginson, Cecil Fielder and Rocky Colavito. More impressive than hitting three dingers, was the fact that one was a mammoth oppo bomb, another was a line drive to center that made the pitcher legitimately flinch, and the third was a jam-job wall scraper. Sheer power and strength.

Yes, I know the Tigers lost, but I would rather focus on history here. The Tigers will be fine. Miguel Cabera meanwhile is the best, most enjoyable hitter I've ever had the pleasure of watching, and he should not be shrugged off because the Tigers lost a game on May 19. Must C for Cherish.

This happens every other game he catches - ain't no way Alex Avila is having a son drafted by the Tigers.

Tigers also lose, 7-2.

GIF via World of Isaac

Detroit4lyfe is being represented at the Tigers' game in Texas tonight!

Supporting #Detroit #Tigers in Arlington. @detroit4lyfe twitter.com/CrazyMSULady/s…

— MaryLou Moore (@CrazyMSULady) May 18, 2013

That is an official Detroit4lyfe t-shirt from our D4L spreadshirt store -- yes, we have a store! -- worn by one of our favorite friends from the Twitterverse, the beautiful MaryLou. Thanks, Mary!

As we have a tendency to do here at D4L, we like to deflect any and all negativity.

LOOK HOW TERRIBLE THIS IAN KINSLER SLIDE WAS LAST NIGHT [via DShep25]:

Here's how our Friday morning coffee-maker convo will go, okay? 

Hungover fan: Did you see the Verlander-Darvish game last night? 

Still-drunk fan:  Yeah, dude - oh man, did you seeeee that Kinsler slide?? 

Hungover fan who wants everyone to know just how hungover he really is: [laughs] Yeah. What an iiiiiiiiidiot! Just like we were idiots for ordering that last round of peppermint patties, right guys? 

Still-drunk fan: It's, like, ex-squeeze me, have you ever done a headfirst slide before? 

Hungover fan: Head definitely first. How does an athlete do that? I mean, I understand how Still-drunk fan fell like that last night, but Ian fuckin' Kinsler?

Still drunk fan: [laughs] Yeah... wait, what? 

Hungover fan who wants everyone to know just how hungover he really is:  [laughs] You fell last night... you know what, guys? My head hurts ... 

Hungover fan: [laughs] Ian Kinsler probably too. 

[They all share a good laugh]

[Co-worker everyone hates approaches; laughter dies down; everyone's uncomfortable; co-worker everyone hates steps between the Hungover fan and Hungover fan who wants everyone to know just how hungover he really is to grab a cup of coffee]

Hungover fan who wants everyone to know just how hungover he really is:  Excuse you, Steve. Too early and HUNGOVER to be pushed aside like that. 

Co-worker everyone hates: [pulls coffee cup out and up slowly to his stupid fucking lips, stops before sipping and looks up] Sorry, mang ... hey, what the fuck is wrong with Verlander, you guys?

I missed this being out of pocket over the weekend -- GameDay doesn't specify when a 'hit by pitch' happens in or around the junk and the batter hilariously hops around the infield grabbing his groin [via WorldofIsaac]:

Try to show me a funnier hit by pitch.

At the very least, it'll wind up on SportsCenter's Top 10 - maybe even as No. 1. But this web gem may go down in history as one of those plays that saves one of those special things we don't explicitly talk about here at D4L while it's going on: 

Yes, he is beginning to throw the ball while he is on his back/ass. Check out the screengrab below: 

UPDATE: Verlander lost his no hitter with one out in the 7th inning. This play by Cabrera is still amazing. 

Below is what it would look like if a pitcher had the ability to throw four balls all at once, and exceptionally well. You probably saw it with Yu Darvish first, but MLB Network did it with Verlander the other night: 

Verlander knows Morneau so well that he vastly increased Morneau's chances of hitting a baseball and Morneau still swung through all four of them. VERLANDERFUL!