With all the conversation around the Detroit Tigers and their potential complete collapse at the top of the American League Central, a reminder was on Thursday that these tigers are by no means dead yet.
In Cleveland, Detroit avoided a three-game sweep through the Guardians with a 4-2 victory. The victory of the Tigers, only their second in the last 10 games, even pulled Detroit on top of the Al Central with identical 86-73 records. Cleveland, however, owns the Tiebreaker thanks to an 8-5 record against the Tigers in the regular season.
The Run from Cleveland to the top of the division is well documented, with the Guardians being 15.5 games on 8 and 10.5 games back on 1 September. With Cleveland’s hot second half (40-24 since the break of the All-Star), much of the focus in the division on the ability of Detroit (or there) is to keep the Guardians.
Now, with three games on the road against the Boston Red Sox in the regular season, the Tigers have the opportunity to put aside the conversation of the “collapse” and to get into the post season, where Detroit certainly has the talent to be difficult for each team.
What story will the Detroit Tigers write?
The Tigers already know the story that will be written if they cannot stop the Houston Astros for the last wildcard spot (provided that Cleveland does not stumble at home in the last three games against the Texas Rangers). However, there is still enough time for a team that seemed like a favorite of the World Series to change the story earlier in the season.
The only thing that the tigers have to do is win on the road against a Red Sox team that also needs victories to prevent their late season from sowing. That is not an easy task.
However, the fate of the Tigers is still for them, despite a second half who saw them after a 27-35 mark. A division title is still a possibility, just like a postseason run that can help put aside any memories of what happened in August and September.
The Tigers are certainly surrounded by the “collapse” story. There is only one way out for Detroit, and that starts on Friday in Boston.
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