The Tigers’ all-too-often A.W.O.L. offense -- 15 up and 15 down during one do-nothing stretch in Tuesday night’s 7-3 loss to Texas that saw the Tigers blow an early three-run lead -- has Jim Leyland understandably on edge.
        When former Tiger Jason Grilli, never a Leyland favorite, fired a pitch that, in the manager’s opinion, came suspiciously close to Clete Thomas’ head on Tuesday, Zach Miner retaliated with a fastball that sailed behind the back of Rangers’ batter Ian Kinsler.
        Tit for tat.
        None of which, of course, did anything to cure the Tigers’ alarming road woes. Through Tuesday, the Tigers had lost 31 games, including seven in a row, and won just 21 away from Comerica Park. They are 31-16 at home.
        That is a real concern.
        You may have noticed that, contrary to Leyland’s two-platoon plan, Magglio Ordonez has been back in the lineup against right-handed pitchers as well as lefties lately.
        Leyland says he has been impressed by the way Ordonez has been swinging the bat. But the fact is, since the Tigers cut Josh Anderson to make room for Carlos Guillen last Friday, they are short of extra outfielders.
        Guillen isn’t ready to return to left field. He still can’t throw. That leaves Marcus Thames and Ryan Raburn, neither of whom has been hitting much, as the only alternatives. And Raburn’s two errors in left field on Sunday night didn’t help his cause any.
        So, until Guillen can play the field, look for Ordonez to play right, even against some right-handers, while Thomas plays left.