Cleveland Guardians Overcome 10-Game Deficit To Tie Detroit Tigers For AL Central Lead

The Detroit Tigers have experienced a dramatic late-season collapse in the 2025 MLB season, losing a 10-game division lead in less than a month to the surging Cleveland Guardians, who now share the top spot in the AL Central. After leading comfortably since April and holding a 14-game advantage in early July, the Tigers have lost seven straight games and 10 of their last 11, while the Guardians boast the best record in MLB for September. A key moment occurred when Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal, who was dominant most of the season, faltered during a pivotal game by hitting a Guardians batter, which led to a shaken performance and a three-run rally by Cleveland without any hits beyond the infield. This collapse threatens to make Detroit the first MLB team to lose a divisional lead of 14 or more games, marking one of the biggest late-season meltdowns in league history. The Guardians' resilience and execution, including strategic bunting and capitalizing on Tigers' errors, have propelled them into a strong postseason position, tying Detroit for the division lead with only a few games remaining. The Tigers' downfall contrasts sharply with their earlier season form, and if they fail to clinch the division, they risk missing the playoffs altogether despite their early promise.