Should Detroit Tigers worry about Cleveland Guardians in AL Central?
On “Days of Roar,” Cleveland Guardians beat writer Paul Hoynes checks in about the Detroit Tigers in the AL Central race with two weeks remaining.
With three games remaining, the Cleveland Guardians control the American League Central due to a shocking collapse by the Detroit Tigers.
However, the Guardians’ hot streak ran out Sept. 25, with Cleveland falling 4-2 to the Tigers at Progressive Field. Despite the loss, the Guardians still hold the division lead and favorable odds to win the AL Central to make the 2025 MLB playoffs.
On Sept. 24, Tanner Bibee had a steady performance against the Tigers in Cleveland’s 5-1 win, throwing six innings of one-run baseball with five strikeouts. José Ramirez led the way for the Guardians in hitting, going 2-for-4 with two doubles and two RBIs in the winning effort.
On Sept. 23, the Guardians beat the Tigers 5-2 despite AL Cy Young favorite Tarik Skubal being on the mound for Detroit. Down 2-0 in the top of the sixth inning, the Guardians got a bunt single from Steven Kwan, and an error on a sacrifice bunt moved the runners over. Then an infield single and a wild pitch tied the game, followed by a fielder’s choice RBI, which allowed the Guardians to take the lead against one of the league’s best pitchers.
Cleveland will finish its season with a three-game series against the Texas Rangers that starts Sept. 26. The magic number for the Guardians to clinch the AL Central is 3.
What are the chances of the Cleveland Guardians winning the AL Central division?
Via Fangraphs, after losing the Sept. 25 game to Detroit, the Guardians have an 66.5% chance to win the AL Central division, a 14.6% decrease from after their Sept. 24 victory.
On Sept. 1, the Guardians had a 0.2% chance to win the Division, while the Tigers held a 99.8% chance. At the time, the Guardians were 10.5 games back of the Tigers and one game behind the Kansas City Royals. Kansas City has since been eliminated from postseason contention.
What are the chances of the Cleveland Guardians making the MLB playoffs?
The Guardians have an 89.2% chance to make the playoffs via Fangraphs, a 6.8% decrease after the loss to the Tigers.
At the start of the month, the Guardians had a 2.9% chance to make the postseason.
When is the next Cleveland Guardians’ game?
The Guardians’ next game is at home against the Rangers at 7:10 p.m. Sept. 26.
Who are the starting pitchers in the Cleveland Guardians-Texas Rangers game today?
According to MLB.com, the probable pitchers for the Sept. 26 Guardians-Rangers game are Slade Cecconi for the Guardians (7-6, 4.15 ERA) and Jack Leiter for the Rangers (9-10, 3.92 ERA).