Tigers AL Central Magic Number Stuck Amid Tarik Skubal Injury Concerns

The Detroit Tigers surrendered a game to the Cleveland Guardians in the AL Central Division standings on Friday.

Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

For the second straight night, the Detroit Tigers saw their magic number to clinch the American League Central Division title remains stuck at eight.

Detroit (84-64) lost to the Miami Marlins, 8-2, as Tigers starter Tarik Skubal had the rare rough outing. The left-hander, who could win a second straight Cy Young this year, only pitched 3.1 innings, giving up four hits and four earned runs while he struck out two and walked none. He threw just 45 pitches and left the game after he suffered what Detroit called tightness in his left side.

That was all that needed to be said for Tigers fans, who know their playoff hopes will take a huge hit if Skubal is required to miss any time. Meanwhile, their chase to trim their magic number to win the AL Central remained lodged in place.  

Detroit Tigers Magic Number

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Detroit’s magic number last moved on Wednesday when the Tigers beat the New York Yankees and the Cleveland Guardians lost to the Kansas City Royals. That dropped the number to eight. On Thursday, the Tigers lost, and the Guardians won, keeping that number at eight.

Friday went the same way, since the magic number drops any time that the Tigers win a game or the Guardians, who are in second place, lose a game. Cleveland won again on Friday, as the Guardians defeated the Chicago White Sox, 4-0. That cut the Tigers’ lead in the division to 7.5 games. Detroit still has considerable cushion when it comes to the division race.

Detroit also slipped a bit further back in the race for the No. 1 seed in the American League playoffs. Toronto (85-62) beat Baltimore, which opened a 1.5-game lead on the Tigers for that top seed, which comes with home-field advantage in the AL playoffs. The No. 2 seed will receive a bye through the wild card round and hosts a divisional series.

Detroit’s last division title was in 2014, and it was the last of a four-season run in which they dominated the division. In that span they went to the World Series in 2012 and reached the ALCS on two other occasions. The Tigers have not won a World Series title since their 1984 team. Detroit went to the playoffs last year as a wild card team and reached the divisional round, where it lost to the Guardians.

Detroit Tigers Magic Number Watch

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Magic Number to Clinch AL Central Title: 8

Detroit Tigers Games Remaining: 14

Detroit Tigers Remaining Schedule: Sept. 13-14, at Miami; Sept. 16-18, vs. Cleveland; Sept. 19-21, vs. Atlanta; Sept. 23-25 at Cleveland; Sept. 26-28, at Boston.

AL Central Race (after Sept. 12)

Detroit Tigers: 84-64 (lead division)

Cleveland Guardians: 76-71 (7.5 games back)

Kansas City Royals: 74-74 (10.0 games back)

Kansas City Royals Remaining Schedule (14 games): Sept. 13-14, at Philadelphia; Sept. 16-18, vs. Seattle; Sept. 19-21, vs. Toronto; Sept. 23-25, at Los Angeles Angels; Sept. 26-28, at Athletics.

Cleveland Guardians Remaining Schedule (15 games): Sept. 13-14, vs. Chicago White Sox; Sept. 16-18, at Detroit; Sept. 19-21, vs. Minnesota (four games in three days); Sept. 23-25, vs. Detroit; Sept. 26-28, vs. Texas.