Tigers Get Scheduling Boost in Bid for First Postseason Slot Since 2014
Despite being 2.5 games back of the final American League Wild Card spot prior to play beginning on Monday, the stars are aligning for the Detroit Tigers to make their first postseason appearance since 2014.
The remaining teams on Detroit's schedule have a combined winning percentage of just .457, only the 28th-hardest schedule out of 30 MLB teams. Only the Los Angeles Dodgers (.433, 29th) and Los Angeles Angels (.384, 30th) have an easier remaining schedule.
Detroit, winners of seven of their last ten games, have only two difficult series remaining on the calendar, a three-game set against the Kansas City Royals that starts tonight from Kansas City's Kauffman Stadium and a three-game road trip this coming weekend to Baltimore's Camden Yards for three games with the AL WIld Card-leading Orioles. The Tigers took two out of three against Baltimore this last weekend at home.
After those two matchups, it's significantly easier sledding for the Tigers: home sets against the 73-77 Tampa Bay Rays and a season-closing matchup with the 35-115 Chicago White Sox, who are on the verge of setting the MLB modern-era record for losses (120, by the 1969 New York Mets, an expansion team). Detroit is 2-1 versus Tampa Bay and 9-1 versus the White Sox this season.
While Detroit gets to mostly play their way in, with matchups this week against two of the three teams ahead of them in the Wild Card standings this week in Kansas City and Baltimore, they also need a bit of help down the stretch. The Minnesota Twins, who hold the final Wild Card spot, and Detroit, who went 6-7 versus them this season, do not get to square off on the field. But Minnesota does have a much harder schedule, taking on Baltimore for three, the AL Central-leading Cleveland Guardians for four, and the Boston Red Sox for three games down the stretch. Minnesota's remaining strength of schedule comes out to .506, one of the harder slates down the stretch.
With Detroit currently sitting on a nine-season playoff drought and looking to avoid making it a tenth, any help would be welcomed.
LINDSAY CROSBY