I speak for the fan base here when I say that I feel a very bizarre mix of emotions right now. Don’t get me wrong, I’m exceptionally pleased to see the Tigers back in the postseason for the second year in a row. I’m never NOT going to celebrate something like that. This was an organization that went 10 years without even making it to October. Most of those years, they were at the bottom of the barrel. Just because this team had a bad September doesn’t mean that I’m not smiling at the opportunity that they’ve given themselves to have a postseason to remember.
With that said, couldn’t they have made it a little bit easier on themselves? Even today, on a day when Boston was tossing out their D+ lineup, which makes sense considering they clinched a postseason spot last night. I’m guessing the Red Sox Clubhouse had a hell of a time partying after their clincher on Friday. Detroit still couldn’t muster up any offense in the early innings. All it took was one big swing by Jahmai Jones, who is quickly becoming one of the brighter acquisitions of the Scott Harris era. He drove in what ultimately proved to be the game-winning RBIs in the fifth inning. Detroit’s pitching staff was able to hold and avoid using Tarik Skubal in a win-or-go-home game tomorrow.
There is positivity to take from what has been a disastrous stretch of baseball for the Tigers. This much-maligned pitching staff is not to blame for this team's downfall. I wouldn't call this a trustworthy pitching staff, but because AJ Hinch has essentially had to stitch this entire group together with duct tape, it’s a positive sign to see you guys like Tyler, Holton, and the two Monteros pitching some good baseball down the stretch.
In the coming hours, there are a few things that I’m genuinely interested in seeing. For one, I want to see if the Tigers celebrate this playoff clincher. I can’t imagine there’s going to be a giant ruckus celebration in the Red Sox Clubhouse like there was when they clinched in Detroit a season ago, but I could be wrong. It will also be interesting to see how AJ manages tomorrow’s game. Obviously, you’re not going to use Tarik Skubal, but there will be an outside shot that you could be playing for an American League Central crown. The win today allows you to set up your pitching staff however you’d like, but there's a possibility that you could be playing a home series to begin the postseason, rather than having to travel to Cleveland. I genuinely don’t know how much this matters to AJ Hinch and his players. At the end of the day, a ticket has been punched. It’s undeniable that we will need to see a much better version of this team in October, but at the very least, we’re going to see them in the postseason, and that is a big step.