Despite a historic 15.5-game collapse, the Detroit Tigers have finally clinched a spot in the AL playoff field. One night after the Boston Red Sox defeated the Tigers 4-3 to lock in their Wild Card spot, Detroit repaid the favor with a 2-1 win over the Red Sox. According to USA Today's Bob Nightengale on X, formerly Twitter, the victory clinched at least one of the other two Wild Card slots.
“The Detroit Tigers can exhale,” posted Nightengale. “Even after a historic collapse, blowing a 15 1/2 game lead over Cleveland, they still will be playing in October. They earned at least a wild-card berth Saturday with their 2-1 victory over Boston.”
If the current standings hold, it will be the Cleveland Guardians who will win the AL Central. If that's the case, then the Tigers could face the Red Sox once again in the Wild Card round. For a team that was staring a first-round bye in the face for most of this season, the playoffs' first round could be filled with pitfalls. Detroit needs to win tomorrow to give itself the best chance at recapturing the AL Central. Can the Tigers finish off the regular season with a series win over Boston?
Will Tigers recapture AL Central on season's final day?
In a playoff-clinching victory, the Tigers received big contributions from two unlikely sources. First up, starting pitcher Keider Montero limited the Red Sox to one run on five hits in 4.1 innings, striking out seven Boston hitters. The bullpen picked up the slack, shutting out the home team and limiting them to just two hits over the final 4.2 innings of the matchup.
The other unsung hero? Designated hitter Jahmai Jones had a two-run RBI single in the fifth inning that gave the Tigers a lead they would never relinquish. In addition to the game-winning hit, Jones also singled to start the game for Detroit. In a game that they needed to win, it was the little-known duo of Montero and Jones that came up big and helped the Tigers secure a victory. Will these contributions continue once October rolls around?
