I realize no one is overly optimistic about the Detroit Tigers at the moment. This city is feeling a collective heartburn as the team enters the last week of the regular season.
The Minnesota Twins are hot on the Tigers’ tail — and the next few days are going to tell a great deal.
Are the Tigers really the best team in the American League Central? Will the Tigers be able to hold off the pesky Twins? Will home field advantage give the Tigers the edge they need to beat down their arch-rivals?
Mathematically, the odds are definitely in the Tigers’ favor. Their magic number stands at six — and every win against the Twins will drop it by two games. So if the Tigers are able to win two out of four games against Minnesota, their magic number will drop to two games; if they are able to take three out of four, the Tigers will clinch the division regardless of what happens over the weekend with Chicago.
The truth of the matter is that the Twins are simply running out of time. If the season had another month to go, I think the Tigers would be unable to remain in first place. But the clock is ticking — and for the first time in many years, it’s ticking in the Tigers favor.