Detroit's 12-game winning streak is history, but the Tigers have clinched at least a tie for the American Central title and should lock up their first division championship since 1987 this weekend in the Bay Area.
Last night, light-hitting Oakland slammed 3 homers off Tiger starter Max Scherzer in a 6-to-1 win over Detroit in the opener of a 4-game series. Because of Cleveland's loss at Texas last night, the Tigers can secure their first playoff berth since 2006 and just their second since 1987 with either a win tonight or a loss by the Indians at Minnesota.
Detroit's 12-game run was the longest for the team since a 14-game surge in 1934, but the A’s struck for a 3-run homer in the first inning last night and added 2 solo shots during the five innings that Scherzer was on the mound with his record slipping to 14-and-9.
It was only the fifth defeat for the Tigers in their last 27 games. Detroit losing last night wasn't all that bad for superstitious Tiger manager Jim Leyland. After the game, he said it’s wonderful and time for a celebration because as it turns out he had been wearing the same underwear without washing it during the entire winning streak
Doug Fister starts for the Tigers tonight against the A’s. The White Sox lost 7-to-2 last night at Kansas City while the Cubs fell 8-to-6 to the Reds in 11-innings at Cincinnati
