The Detroit Tigers limped into the 2025 MLB postseason, but are now the first team in the American League to win a playoff series this year.
The Tigers led their division and held the best record in the AL for a large chunk of the season before they absolutely collapsed at the end of the season.
However, Detroit turned things around this week, winning Game 1 and Game 3 of their wild card series against the Cleveland Guardians to advance the ALDS against the Seattle Mariners.
Tigers Make Postseason History
The Tigers ended the season losing five straight series and seven of their final eight series. That stretch also included two sweeps resulting in an eight-game losing streak.
However, because the Houston Astros couldn't put wins together either, Detroit snuck into the postseason as a wild card team and traveled to Cleveland to face its division rival for the third series in two weeks.
THE DETROIT TIGERS COME UP CLUTCH IN THE WINNER-TAKE-ALL GAME 🔥
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 2, 2025
They will face the @Mariners in the ALDS 👀 pic.twitter.com/7bznWbiyrC
The Tigers took two of three from the Guardians and became the first team in MLB history to win a postseason series immediately after losing five straight series to end the regular season, according to OptaSTATS.
The Tigers got on the board first on Thursday thanks to a Dillon Dingler home run, and then pushed five runs across in the seventh inning to secure the win.
Now, Detroit will travel to Seattle to face the Mariners in the ALDS. That series will start on Saturday, Oct. 4, and the Tigers will have their ace, Tarik Skubal, on the mound.