BREAKING: Detroit Tigers Fall from First Place After Eighth Straight Loss, Hanging on by Inches in AL Central Race
DETROIT — What was once a joyful sprint has become a slow, uneasy slide. The Detroit Tigers, who only a week ago held a share of first place in the American League Central, lost their eighth straight game Thursday night, a 4–3 heartbreaker to the Minnesota Twins. With the defeat, the Tigers tumbled out of the top spot for the first time since mid-May, their playoff dreams suddenly in peril.
The night unfolded with a cruel sense of déjà vu. Detroit rallied late, putting the tying run on third in the ninth inning, but a sharp line drive from Spencer Torkelson hung just long enough for Twins center fielder Byron Buxton to snag it inches above the grass. The Comerica Park crowd gasped and then fell silent, another comeback bid ending just shy of glory.
“Just an inch away,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said afterward, his voice heavy. “We’ve been in every game this week, but we can’t seem to finish the big moment. That’s the difference right now.”
For much of the summer, the Tigers looked like a surprise contender, riding a blend of veteran pitching and young bats to the top of the standings. But the late-August heat has exposed cracks. The bullpen, once a strength, has faltered in high-leverage innings, while a lineup that powered past expectations in July has cooled dramatically.
Thursday’s loss was emblematic of the skid. Tarik Skubal delivered six solid innings, allowing two runs and striking out eight, but the offense left nine runners on base. A two-run double from Riley Greene briefly tied the game in the seventh, only for reliever Alex Lange to surrender a go-ahead homer in the eighth.
Despite the slump, there is no sense of panic in the clubhouse—at least not publicly. “We’re frustrated, no question,” Greene said. “But we know what we can do. We’ve been in first place before. We can get back there. It’s on us to turn it around.”
Fans, however, are feeling the sting. Comerica Park was packed for the late-summer matchup, hopeful for a spark. Instead, many filed out quietly, wearing the kind of anxious expressions that have haunted Detroit baseball for much of the past decade.
The schedule offers no favors. The Tigers now embark on a critical road trip with series against both the Guardians and the Orioles, two teams with playoff aspirations of their own. Hinch emphasized that the path remains open, but time is slipping. “There’s no magic fix,” he said. “We have to execute. We have to finish.”
It has been nine years since Detroit last tasted postseason baseball. This season, buoyed by a resilient roster and a fan base desperate for October, felt different. Yet baseball can be cruel, the margin between victory and defeat measured in inches.
For now, the Tigers remain close enough to dream. But if they cannot halt the slide soon, what once seemed like a season of revival could become another chapter of heartbreak.
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