The Cleveland Guardians are sprinting towards a potential playoff spot, thanks to a surprising turnaround in their season. Winning 15 out of the last 17 games, the Guardians have put themselves in a strong position as they approach their final week of the regular season. They will host a six-game homestand against the Detroit Tigers and the Texas Rangers, with the Tigers struggling after losing six games in a row.
In July, the Guardians were trailing the Tigers by 15.5 games, and by late August, they were still 12.5 games behind. However, they have dramatically closed the gap and are now just one game behind the Tigers in their division. If the Guardians win all three upcoming games against the Tigers, they would sit two games ahead and hold the tiebreaker, needing only one more win or a Tigers loss to clinch the division.
Significantly, the Guardians have arranged their pitcher line-up strategically. Gavin Williams and Tanner Bibee have been bumped up to face the Tigers, allowing Williams to possibly make three starts in the final week if needed. This could be crucial if they need to secure a final victory on the last day of the regular season.
The Tigers’ recent form adds an edge to the upcoming games. As they head into Cleveland, their potential to reverse their current losing streak could heavily impact the standings. The Tigers also have to face the Boston Red Sox after their series with the Guardians, a development that indirectly benefits Cleveland. Each loss for Boston against Detroit would aid the Guardians’ push, as the Red Sox are also contenders for the wild card spots.
Meanwhile, other teams in contention, like the Astros, face less competitive opponents, which may tilt the wild card race balance. However, focusing on their strong finish, the Guardians remain hopeful of playing in October. This optimistic scenario seemed unlikely at the start of September, making their current position a remarkable turn of events in Major League Baseball.