For the fans of the Detroit Tigers, it will be a Sunday full of exhibition matches.
Yes, the Tigers have a big series finale against the Baltimore Orioles at 1:35 p.m. at Camden Yards.
But there are other games that could have a big impact on the Tigers’ playoff hopes: After a rain-cancelled game on Saturday, the Minnesota Twins will play a doubleheader against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park; the Kansas City Royals will try to end their six-game losing streak in their final home game of the season against the San Francisco Giants; and the Seattle Mariners will try to stay in the race and win their fourth game against the Rangers in Texas.
These four teams – the Tigers, Twins, Royals and Mariners – are battling for the last two spots in the American League wildcard race.
WILD CARD STANDINGS (last two places)
| team | Wins | losses | Games behind it |
|---|---|---|---|
| City | 82 | 73 | +0.5 |
| Minnesota | 81 | 73 | — |
| TIGER | 81 | 74 | 0.5 |
| Seattle | 80 | 75 | 1.5 |
(The complete ranking can be found here)
The collapse of the Royals and the rise of the Tigers were two of the biggest headlines in September.
The Twins could overtake the Royals as early as Sunday, meaning the Tigers, who have spent most of the month chasing Minnesota, could soon be on the hunt for the Royals.
CURRENT PLAYOFF CHANCES (last two wildcard spots)
| team | PECOTA | Fangraphs |
|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | 68.8 | 76.2 |
| City | 64.8 | 75.4 |
| TIGER | 49.9 | 39.2 |
| Seattle | 16.4 | 9.5 |
Note: The totals are over 200 percent because the Mariners still have a slim chance of winning their division.
The Tigers lost the season series to both Minnesota and Kansas City, meaning they would lose any tiebreakers. Major League Baseball no longer has one-game playoffs, but the Tigers have an advantage over Seattle.
The Twins would win the tiebreaker against each team in any scenario, which is reflected in their better playoff chances.
REMAINING SCHEDULE
After Sunday, the Tigers have a relatively manageable schedule.
This is how the four contenders will finish the season after all four teams have a free game on Monday.
Tigers: Tampa Bay (3 games), Chicago White Sox (3 games)
Twins: Miami (3 games), Baltimore (3 games)
Royals: in Washington (3 games), in Atlanta (3 games)
Mariners: in Houston (3 games), in Oakland (3 games)
TIEBREAKER
Here are all 11 possible tiebreaker scenarios with the four teams still in the race.
Tiebreaker between two teams:
Twins about Royals
Royals vs Tigers
Gemini over Tiger
Twins beat Mariners
Tigers beat Mariners
Royals likely against Mariners
The Royals and Mariners are tied in the season series, but the Royals’ 33-19 intra-divisional record is currently better than the Mariners’ 27-18. The Mariners have seven intra-divisional games left, but they would need to win them all.
Tiebreaker for three teams:
Twins over Royals and Tigers; Royals over Tigers
Twins over Royals and Mariners; Royals probably over Mariners (see above)
Royals over Tigers and probably over Mariners; Tigers over Mariners
Twins over Tigers and Mariners; Tigers over Mariners
Tiebreaker for four teams:
Twins over Royals, Tigers and Mariners; Royals over Tigers and Mariners; Tigers over Mariners.
