The Detroit Tigers have secured a spot in the playoffs for the second year in a row. They clinched their playoff berth with a 2-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Saturday.
With the Tigers now in the playoffs, only one American League (AL) playoff spot remains up for grabs. The Cleveland Guardians and the Houston Astros are competing for that final spot.
Currently, the Guardians hold a one-game lead over the Astros. With only two games left for each team, the Guardians’ magic number is one. This means that any combination of Guardians wins and/or Astros losses that adds up to one will guarantee the Guardians the playoff spot.
The race between the Guardians and the Tigers in the AL Central has become surprisingly tight. What was once seen as a comfortable lead for the Tigers has now turned into a heated battle.
The Tigers’ recent win puts them just a half-game ahead of the Guardians. However, the Guardians have the tiebreaker advantage. If the Guardians win their game, they will once again be in the lead for the division title.
Essentially, if the Guardians win on Saturday, they will clinch the AL Central title if they win one of their remaining games or if the Tigers lose one of theirs. If the Guardians lose on Saturday, the Tigers will have a one-game lead going into Sunday’s games. In that scenario, the Tigers will win the division if they win their final game or if the Guardians lose theirs.
This close competition was unexpected, especially considering that the Tigers had a significant 15.5-game lead earlier in the season. However, the division title is still very much undecided.
The outcome of this race has implications for playoff positioning. If the Cleveland Guardians don’t completely collapse this weekend, Detroit can catch the Red Sox for the second wild-card spot with a win on Sunday, and the Guardians would too with wins in their final two games. In that situation, the Tigers would potentially face the New York Yankees in the Wild Card Series.
If the Red Sox manage to hold onto the second wild-card spot, Detroit and Cleveland would face each other in the first round of the playoffs. The AL Central champion would have the advantage of playing at home.
The final games of the regular season will be crucial in determining the final playoff picture. The Tigers and Guardians will be battling for the AL Central title, while the Astros are hoping to secure the final AL Wild Card spot. Baseball fans can anticipate an exciting finish to the season.
