Tigers secure postseason berth, takes lead in tight AL Central race

Champagne flowed in the Boston Red Sox clubhouse on Friday as the team celebrated clinching a playoff spot.

Saturday night, the Detroit Tigers had their chance to toast.

Despite the absence of Alex Bregman, Jarren Duran and Trevor Story from Saturday’s lineup, the Tigers still managed to hold on for a 2-1 victory over the Red Sox at Fenway Park. The victory earned Detroit a playoff berth and moved the Tigers to the top of the AL Central standings.

Jahmai Jones was responsible for both of the Tigers runs on Sunday. He hit a two-run single in the fifth inning.

The Tigers entered Saturday night’s MLB action with just a half-game lead over the Cleveland Guardians.  Detroit will end the regular season on Sunday when they play the last game of a three-game series with the Red Sox.

The Tigers have not advanced to the postseason in back-to-back seasons.

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A Detroit win, combined with a Guardians defeat in any of their final two games, would give the Tigers the AL Central crown. 

The Guardians were tied 2-2 with the Texas Rangers in the ninth inning on Saturday evening. Cleveland infielder CJ Kayfus was hit by a pitch in the bottom of the inning, which brought the game-winning run to home plate.

The Tigers’ road to the playoffs grew particularly tenuous as the team tried to end a late-season collapse. 

“Kind of a crazy ride, but it’s well worth it,” manager A.J. Hinch told Tigers players on Saturday. “We went up, we went down, we went up again.”

In July, the Tigers held a 14-game lead in the division. By early September, their lead dropped to 9½ games — but then a free fall in the standings ensued.

Detroit dropped 12 of 14 games, which forced them into a tie with the Guardians. Should the AL Central race end in a tie, Cleveland holds the tiebreaker advantage.

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