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.
The Cleveland Guardians control the American League Central due to a shocking collapse by the Detroit Tigers in the division race. There are four games remaining.
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.
The Guardians are 86-72 and have a one-game lead in the AL Central over the Tigers. If the Tigers beat the Guardians on Sept. 25, the Guardians would still hold the division lead by the tiebreaker in head-to-head record.
Cleveland will finish its season with one more game against the Tigers on Sept. 25 and a three-game series against the Texas Rangers that starts Sept. 26. The magic number for the Guardians to clinch the AL Central is 4.
What are the chances of the Cleveland Guardians winning the AL Central division?
According to Fangraphs on Sept. 25, before their 6:40 p.m. game against Detroit, the Guardians have an 81.1% chance to win the AL Central division. That’s a 23.7% increase following the Guardians’ Sept. 24 win against the Tigers.
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 a 96% chance to make the playoffs as of Sept. 25 via Fangraphs. That’s a 15.6% increase following their Sept. 24 win against 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 Tigers at 6:40 p.m. Sept. 25.
Who are the starting pitchers in the Cleveland Guardians-Detroit Tigers game today?
The probable pitcher for the Guardians on the Sept. 25 Guardians-Tigers game is Parker Messick (3-0, 2.08 ERA). The Tigers do not have a listed starter as of the morning of Sept. 25.