Who would have thought that a baseball team that entered August with a losing record would end up one of the final eight teams in the Major League Baseball postseason? The answer is: absolutely nobody. On August 10, the Detroit Tigers sat at a record of 55-63. They were fourth place in the American League Central division, and 11 games back of the second Wild Card spot in the playoffs. Let’s take a look at exactly how the Tigers pulled off the unthinkable.
The magic all really started on August 18, when the Tigers took on the New York Yankees at the Little League Classic in Williamsport, Pa. The match featured Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal on the mound, who dominated the elite Yankees lineup including superstars Aaron Judge. Also, the Tigers returned key outfielders Riley Greene and Parker Meadows off of the injured list.
Even though Detroit finished the game with a walk-off win, the experience of Williamsport was more important to them. The feeling of spending time with the kids at the Little League World Series clearly sent inspiration into the team, as they went on a 26-12 regular season run since that very night.
Nobody knew how, but the Tigers just kept winning baseball games. They even did this with only one starting pitcher, as they played most games by using just bullpen pitching. One of the main reasons why the team has been so successful to this point is the development of the young players on the roster.
Rookies such as Trey Sweeney, Jace Jung, and Colt Keith stepped up their play, and impressed many. Also, you can’t forget the performance of ace and likely Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal, who became the first pitcher since Justin Verlander in 2011 to win the American League Triple Crown (led AL in wins, ERA, strikeouts).
The grit of the Tigers finally paid off as on September 27, the Detroit Tigers officially clinched their first postseason berth since 2014 with a win over the Chicago White Sox.
Fast forwarding to October, the Tigers not only found themselves in the postseason, but also moving on to the American League Division Series. They swept the Houston Astros in the best-of-three series at Minute Maid Park in Houston after a clutch late game triple by Andy Ibanez, and are headed to Cleveland to take on familiar opponent Guardians in a best-of-five series, where the Tigers will have the chance to compete in a playoff game at Comerica Park for the first time in over 10 years.
