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

Detroit clinched a playoff berth with a 2-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on Saturday, a win that moved the Tigers to the top of the AL Central and left the division crown undecided as the regular season heads into its final day.

Detroit entered the night with a half-game lead over Cleveland. A win and a Guardians loss in any of their remaining two games would push the Tigers into the division title position. The club faced a lineup shakeup, with the absence of Alex Bregman, Jarren Duran and Trevor Story listed for Saturday's game. After the game, Tigers manager A.J. Hinch offered a concise assessment: "Kind of a crazy ride, but it's well worth it."

Jahmai Jones provided the offense the next day, delivering a two-run single in the fifth to account for the Tigers’ runs in Sunday’s contest.

Meanwhile in Cleveland, the Guardians remained in the hunt as they faced the Texas Rangers. Cleveland was tied 2-2 with Texas in the ninth when CJ Kayfus was hit by a pitch, loading the bases and sending the potential game-changing run to the plate in a pivotal late-inning moment. The result kept Detroit's fate tied to the outcomes of the final day of the season.

Detroit’s push to the postseason has been a roller coaster. The Tigers led the AL Central by 14 games in July, only to watch that advantage shrink to 9½ games by early September. A rough stretch, with Detroit dropping 12 of 14 and slipping into a tie with Cleveland, set the stage for a dramatic finish. If the division ends in a tie, Cleveland holds the tiebreaker, shaping a final-day scenario that could hinge on a single game.

The Tigers will close the regular season on Sunday in Boston, with the possibility of clinching the division outright or forcing a tiebreaker depending on the Guardians’ results. Detroit has not reached the postseason in back-to-back seasons, adding pressure to seal the spot in the final game of the year.