Tigers clinch playoff berth after late-season collapse; AL Central crown remains undecided

Detroit clinched a playoff berth with a 2-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on Saturday, moving the Tigers to the top of the American League Central standings and setting up a dramatic finish to the regular season.

Jahmai Jones supplied both of Detroit’s runs, delivering a two-run single in the fifth inning to provide the difference in a tight, pitching-driven game. Detroit entered Saturday with a half-game lead over Cleveland; a win paired with a Guardians loss in any of their remaining two games would give the Tigers the division title. The Guardians, meanwhile, were tied 2-2 with the Texas Rangers in the ninth in their contest, with Cleveland infielder CJ Kayfus being hit by a pitch in the bottom of the inning to load the bases and bring the potential game-winning run to the plate. The outcome in Cleveland kept the division race in flux while Detroit celebrated advancing to the postseason.

The Tigers’ road to the playoffs has been a roller coaster ride this fall. Manager A.J. Hinch acknowledged the sequence of highs and lows after Detroit’s win, saying, "Kind of a crazy ride, but it's well worth it. We went up, we went down, we went up again." Detroit’s surge to the postseason comes after a dramatic late-season slide that included a 12-14 stretch that briefly dropped the club into a tie with Cleveland for the lead.

Detroit has not advanced to the postseason in back-to-back seasons, a gap the organization has aimed to close with a push to the finish. July featured a 14-game lead in the division, but by early September the cushion had evaporated to 9½ games before the Tigers mounted another late surge. The final classification of the AL Central will hinge on how Sunday’s games unfold for both teams, as Detroit closes the three-game set with the Red Sox and Cleveland seeks to close out its schedule.

The win sparked celebratory moments in Detroit, including champagne showers in the clubhouse as players and staff embraced the milestone. Team chairman and CEO Chris Ilitch was among those doused after the victory, underscoring the significance of earning a postseason berth after a season of upheaval and near-misses.

With the final weekend of the regular season looming, Detroit’s focus shifts to Sunday’s finale against Boston, a game that will determine whether the Tigers can clinch the division outright or whether Cleveland remains in striking distance depending on the Guardians’ results. The outcome will determine not only playoff seeding but also the immediate momentum entering the postseason for a club that overcame a tumultuous late stretch to reach the playoffs for the first time in years.

The 2025 pennant race in the American League remains fluid, with Philadelphia and Seattle among the leaders in other divisions, and Detroit’s attention now turns to preserving its hard-earned position as the pursuit of the championship continues.