DETROIT — The Detroit Tigers, baseball’s hottest team in recent weeks, earned an AL wild-card berth Friday night to end a decade-long playoff drought.
“This team is pretty dangerous,” Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris said. “We had an opportunity to make some noise in October and we’re going to continue to fight for that opportunity.”
Detroit clinched a playoff spot with a 4-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox, who set a modern major league record with their 121st loss.
The Tigers are on a tear, winning six straight and 10 of 11 to advance to the playoffs for the first time since 2014.
Detroit was 55-63 on August 10 – 10 games out of the final wild card – then went 31-11. During this span, the Tigers have the lowest ERA in baseball and the largest run differential.
“It’s a dream come true,” first baseman Spencer Torkelson said.
AL Cy Young Award favorite Tarik Skubal leads Detroit’s rotation and Jason Foley has become a reliable closer in a strong bullpen. He made his 28th save in the series opener against Chicago.
Riley Greene, an All-Star outfielder, is the team’s best player in a lineup that hits at just the right time from top to bottom.
Torkelson, the No. 1 overall pick in 2020, was sent to the minors during the season and rebounded well enough to contribute to the team’s late run.
“That’s what makes winning so special,” Torkelson said. “It’s not always going to be perfect. You’re not always going to get a hit. You’re not always going to knock the guy out. But just getting through it and persevering, that’s what makes it so special “
Taking advantage of facing a historically bad team, Detroit broke a scoreless tie in the fifth inning of the decisive playoff victory. Jake Rogers scored when Jared Shuster was charged with a wild throw even though the ball didn’t hit the dirt just below catcher Korey Lee’s glove.
Greene put Detroit up 3-1 with a double in the seventh, and Chicago again helped the home team’s cause later in the inning when Fraser Ellard threw the team’s third wild pitch. evening.
Detroit overcame long odds to reach the playoffs. A month ago, the Tigers were 33-1 entering the playoffs on ESPN BET, and their odds of winning the World Series were as long as 500-1 in early September at some sports betting sites. Detroit was 30-1 on Friday to win the World Series on ESPN BET.
“With every player I hugged, I had a flashback to a moment of adversity they faced, or a moment where we challenged them to do something differently and all these guys did it,” Harris said on the field after the game. “They rose to the occasion and they deserve it. I’m really, really proud of them.”
The Tigers came out of the gates strong in April, winning six of their first seven games in their second full season under Harris and AJ Hinch’s fourth year as manager. They had a winning record until mid-May, when the team began to slide in the standings.
They looked like they couldn’t pitch anymore in late July when Kenta Maeda was demoted to the bullpen, Casey Mize and Reese Olson were injured and Jack Flaherty was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Every time it looked like the Tigers might rally, they failed to sustain the success and many in-state fans turned their attention to football.
Hinch showed creativity, rolling with a rotation of Skubal and rookie Keider Montero while relying on the bullpen to pitch entire games such as the series opener against the White Sox in front of 44,435 fans at Comerica Park.
Skubal and Montero have combined to go 11-3 since Aug. 1, but only one other starting pitcher has won a game, and that was Brant Hurter against the Los Angeles Angels a month ago.
The Motor City baseball team saved the season and reignited interest, drawing large crowds after closing out the last few seasons in a nearly empty stadium.
“It’s been a long time since this organization has been to the playoffs and these fans deserve it,” Harris said.
ESPN’s David Purdum and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
