The Detroit Tigers somehow spent almost an entire weekend in Cleveland ahead on the scoreboard and still returned home with three walk-off losses.

That is not an exaggeration.

Detroit never threw a pitch while trailing during the four-game series, led for 26 of 38 innings and still lost three of four. Sunday’s 3-2 loss in 10 innings gave the Tigers their third walk-off defeat of the series and dropped them to 65-78.

Afterward, A.J. Hinch did not attempt to make it sound any better than it was.

“The walk-offs are painful. I mean, it’s the worst feeling coming off somebody else’s field while they’re celebrating. Obviously we’ve played a ton of close games against these guys. Close games don’t matter unless you win.

“I like our fight. I like [that] the guys are into it. We’re not going to quit. We’re not going to concede. We get to go home for a homestand. But this was a rough trip.”

He’s right.

It was brutal.

Tigers Keep Finding New Ways to Lose

Sunday’s loss gave Detroit 42 defeats after holding a lead, 26 one-run losses and 11 walk-off losses this season. The latest setback came when Daniel Schneemann singled home the automatic runner in the bottom of the 10th, completing a Cleveland series in which the Guardians repeatedly waited until the final possible moment to break Detroit’s heart.

It was also Detroit’s first stretch of three consecutive walk-off losses since 1989, and the latest defeat left the Tigers 7½ games behind Cleveland in the Wild Card race.

Remember what Hinch said before this series?

He insisted the Tigers were not going to quit, even as the playoff picture became increasingly ugly. We wrote at the time that Hinch was saying exactly what a manager is supposed to say.

Four games later, the Tigers have managed to make the situation considerably worse.

Hinch Still Won’t Concede

There is something almost admirable about Hinch continuing to push the same message.

Detroit has been punched in the mouth repeatedly over the past several weeks, but he still refuses to give his players permission to check out. That message has remained consistent even as Hinch has pushed back against the idea that Detroit’s season is already over.

And, again, what else is he supposed to do?

The manager cannot walk into the clubhouse with three weeks remaining and announce that everyone should start making October vacation plans.

But Sunday’s quote also contained the part that matters most:

“Close games don’t matter unless you win.”

That is the Tigers’ problem.

They can talk about competing.

They can point to how often they led Cleveland.

They can praise the fight.

Eventually, though, you have to win the baseball games.

Detroit didn’t.

And after a Cleveland trip that featured three walk-off losses in four days, the Tigers’ postseason hopes aren’t merely slipping away anymore.

They’re almost gone.