The Detroit Tigers have won three series in a row.
But a sweep would have been sweet.
The Tigers (77-73) have a 15-7 record since Aug. 23, including a recently completed 4-2 home series with series wins over the Colorado Rockies and Baltimore Orioles.
In the race for the last wildcard spot in the American League, they are 2 1/2 games behind the Minnesota Twins (79-70).
With 12 games left this season, that’s still a big hurdle, especially since the Twins have the edge in head-to-head play.
Another team is also on the rise. The Seattle Mariners (77-73) have won three games in a row and are now tied with the Tigers on points.
All of this means the Tigers’ margin for error is incredibly slim as they open a three-game series at the Kansas City Royals on Monday night.
“We’re going to suit up, get on a plane, fly to Kansas City and stay grounded,” Tigers manager AJ Hinch said after Sunday’s win over the Orioles. “We’re focused on the next game and that’s worked for us for a while. We’re going to continue to do that and not give up the hype of winning the series.”
WILD CARD STANDARDS
| team | Wins | losses | Games behind it |
|---|---|---|---|
| City | 82 | 68 | +2.5 |
| Minnesota | 79 | 70 | — |
| TIGER | 77 | 73 | 2.5 |
| Seattle | 77 | 73 | 2.5 |
| Boston | 75 | 75 | 4.5 |
The complete ranking can be found here.
According to projections from Baseball Prospectus and Fangraphs, both the Tigers and Mariners have about a one in ten chance of making the playoffs.
CURRENT PLAYOFF CHANCES
| team | PECOTA | Fangraphs |
|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | 80.2 percent | 84.2 |
| Seattle | 11.6 | 8.4 |
| TIGER | 9.0 | 10.2 |
| Boston | 2.5 | 2.6 |
The odds are over 100 percent, as the Twins and Mariners still have very little chance of winning their division.
All four teams in the race face tough tests this week.
The Twins open a four-game series against the Guardians (86-64) in Cleveland on Monday.
The Mariners have Monday off and will host three games from the New York Yankees (87-63) starting Tuesday.
The Red Sox also have Monday off. Starting Tuesday, they will be in St. Petersburg, Florida, for three games against the Tampa Bay Rays (73-77).
