The Detroit Tigers' worst fears are coming true. After heading into the All-Star break with the best record in MLB, the Tigers suddenly find their playoff spot in serious peril after a 5-2 loss to the red-hot Cleveland Guardians dropped them to second on the division. The month of September has been a nightmare for the Tigers, as they have now gone 5-14 on the month (only the Colorado Rockies have been worse), and this cold spell coincided with the Guardians' 17-5 record on the month — allowing Cleveland to make up what was once a 15-game deficit.
It is downright concerning for the Tigers when they couldn't even win the game that Tarik Skubal starts. Skubal ended up with just one earned run on his ledger, but the two other runs he allowed (for three total) might as well have been charged on him. He compounded matters with a throwing error that allowed the Guardians to keep the line moving, and the Guardians ended up with a 3-2 lead after six innings that they would not relinquish.
At this point, all the Tigers could do is just laugh at all the absurdities that have happened during their horrific run of games.
“A lot of unfortunate things kind of happened there,” Skubal said regarding the sixth inning, per Tony Paul of The Detroit News.
Skubal did not make things any easier for himself. He attempted a wild, no-look between his legs throw to first base and ended up airmailing it over the head of first baseman Spencer Torkelson. He also allowed Angel Martinez to score on a wild pitch and he was charged with a balk that allowed Jose Ramirez to move to third base (and he ended up scoring on a groundout as a result).
Guardians score three runs and take the lead off of Tarik Skubal without a ball leaving the infield! pic.twitter.com/8faIoJ7F3R
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) September 24, 2025
If even Skubal is losing it, then the Tigers are in major trouble.
Tigers still control their fate
As bleak as everything is for the Tigers at the moment, they still control their fate. They are tied at the moment with the Guardians in the AL Central standings (85-72), so if they manage to win the two remaining games of their current series, they are back in the driver's seat.
Moreover, the Tigers also own a half-a-game lead over the Houston Astros, their closest competitor for the third and final spot in the AL Wild Card standings, and they also own the tiebreaker against them, having won four of their six contests this season.
