While the Detroit Tigers went through a collapse in the AL Central, losing a 15.5-game lead on the division, the team desperately needed positivity with a few games remaining as they're trying not to be eliminated from playoff contention. As the Tigers were dealing with their painful reality, the team regained focus on the task ahead and got a crucial 4-2 win over the Cleveland Guardians.
The victory on Thursday night snapped an eight-game losing streak, with Detroit looking like it went from losing a comfortable lead in the division to missing the postseason altogether. With the win, the team is now tied with Cleveland for the AL Central, leading to manager A.J. Hinch stressing that any person requires a “little bit of positivity in the game,” according to ESPN.
“Everyone needs to see a little bit of positivity in the game,” Tigers manager AJ Hinch said. “We are human. We feed off a ton of things, including the good things. Of course, everyone takes a collective breath.”
All Detroit needed was one win to get their minds right and remind people, and even themselves, what they're capable of doing.
“It hasn't been going the way we want it to go for a little while now, so it kind of felt like a weight lifted off our shoulders, like we're back on track,” Troy Melton said. “It was good to put a win together.”
Tigers' A.J. Hinch on the tight AL Central race with Guardians
With the Tigers' hopes for the AL Central had been waning, the team still has a chance to win the division, though the damage has been done to the point where they don't control their own fate. Since Cleveland has the tiebreaker, Detroit will need to handle business in its final three-game series against the Boston Red Sox.
“We want to win as many games as we can, and we know if we win as many games as we can, we'll be just fine,” Hinch said. “Tonight was a good example of what we can bring to the table every night.”
“Even though they count the same, they don't feel the same because of where we're at,” Hinch continued.
At any rate, with the Tigers facing the Red Sox, the Guardians are taking on the Texas Rangers for their final series, with Detroit needing to win the most games to secure the division.
