As recently as September 3, the Tigers were 81-60, 10 games ahead of the Guardians (69-69 at the time). Since then, the Tigers have gone 4-11, while the Guardians have gone 15-3, trimming Detroit’s division lead to a single game. The two teams face off for a three-game series in Cleveland starting tonight, with the Guardians — who are 6-4 against the Tigers thus far — needing just one win to clinch the season series. As noted, the Tigers play the Red Sox during the season’s final weekend, while the Guardians host the Rangers (79-77), who are on the brink of official elimination from contention after losing seven straight. The odds still give the Tigers a 63.3% chance of winning the division, but at this point, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Guardians were to sneak in there.
