It was July 8, 2025, and AJ Hinch and the Detroit Tigers sat 14 games ahead in the American League Central. Life was great as the MLB All-Star game came to the folks in Detroit.
Then, disaster hit. The Tigers literally forgot how to win baseball games. The Cleveland Guardians, who were 15.5 games behind the Tigers at that point, realized they do know how to win games, and lots of them.
Fast forward to tonight at Progressive Field in Cleveland, and the Guardians are a single game back in the American League Central from the Tigers.
Cleveland is also in a tie with Houston for the final wildcard spot in the American League, and a single game behind Boston. Choas is happening in the final six days of the Major League Baseball season.
For Detroit, a win tonight would mean a massive exhale as they look to avoid doing something that has NEVER been done in MLB history. No team has ever lost a divisional lead of 14+ games.
No team has ever lost its division (since 1969) or league (pre-1969) after leading by 14+ games 😳 pic.twitter.com/q8Duzy5LRP
— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) September 23, 2025
Fortunately for the Tigers, they got their guy on the mound. Tarik Skubal, the American League Cy Young a season ago, is on the mound, taking on Gavin Williams of the Guardians. Skubal then would be ready to go in the season finale on Sunday.
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Following this massive three-game series, the Tigers are in Boston for what will likely be another massive series. The Guardians are taking on the Texas Rangers. Texas will likely be eliminated by the time the weekend arrives, but could potentially be in the mix.
Drama has arrived. October is a week away, but tonight in Cleveland will be as close to postseason baseball as we will get unitl the real thing that starts in one week!
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