Tigers Now on Verge of Biggest Collapse in Major League Divisional Era
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The Detroit Tigers lost their fifth straight game, and their eighth in the last nine, after falling to the Atlanta Braves, 6-5, on Saturday.
This was a game Detroit (85-70) rallied to get into position to win. After falling behind 3-2 after three innings, the Tigers tied the game in the sixth on a Zach McKinstry home run. Then, in the seventh inning, Detroit took a two-run lead after Spencer Torkelson’s two-run home run. It appeared the Tigers were in control.
Atlanta cut the lead to one run with a home run from Nacho Alvarez Jr., which was his second home run of the game. Then, the Tigers’ bullpen collapsed in the ninth, as it allowed an Alvarez RBI single to tie the game and then an RBI single by Jurickson Profar to push Atlanta ahead. The Tigers were retired in order in the bottom of the ninth for the loss.
The Tigers are now in the territory of the worst collapse in Major League history when it comes to a divisional lead.
Detroit Tigers Magic Number
The Guardians were as many as 15.5 games behind in the division in early July
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) September 20, 2025
Largest deficits overcome to win division (1969-on) or league (pre-‘69):
1914 Braves: 15.0 GB
1978 Yankees: 14.0
2012 A’s: 13.0
1995 Mariners: 13.0
1951 Giants: 13.0
h/t @EliasSports https://t.co/DwSSpiicTF
Earlier this season, the Cleveland Guardians were 15.5 games behind the Tigers in the American League Central Division. It’s the sort of lead that teams don’t surrender. In fact, only one team has surrendered a divisional lead that large and lost the title. That was in 1978, when the Boston Red Sox gave up a 14-game lead to the New York Yankees and then lost the division title in a one-game tiebreaker game that led to the legendary Bucky Dent home run at Fenway Park.
The Tigers had a 14-game lead on the field as late as July 7. After their loss to the Braves, they saw that the Cleveland Guardians won the first game of a doubleheader against the Minnesota Twins, which at the time cut the lead to 1.5 games and left the Tigers’ magic number to clinch the AL Central stuck at seven. The Guardians had one more game Saturday evening.
Cleveland won that game, too, 8-0. The lead is now down to one game, and the magic number remains stuck at seven. Detroit is in real trouble now. The two teams face each three more times next week.
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
Magic Number to Clinch AL Central Title: 7
Detroit Tigers Games Remaining: 7
Detroit Tigers Remaining Schedule: Sept. 21, vs. Atlanta; Sept. 23-25 at Cleveland; Sept. 26-28, at Boston.
AL Central Race (after Sept. 20)
Detroit Tigers: 85-70 (lead division)
Cleveland Guardians: 84-71 (1.0 game back)
Cleveland Guardians Remaining Schedule (7 games): Sept. 21, vs. Minnesota; Sept. 23-25, vs. Detroit; Sept. 26-28, vs. Texas.
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Matthew Postins is an award-winning sports journalist who covers Major League Baseball for OnSI. He also covers the Big 12 Conference for Heartland College Sports.
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