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The Detroit Tigers' 4-2 victory over the Cleveland Guardians on Thursday night felt like a breath of fresh air. The September collapse that had turned a magical season into a nightmare for the Tigers resulted in a spreading haze that felt like drowning. That feeling permeated the start of their crucial series against the Guardians this week.
After Tarik Skubal was rattled on Tuesday, and the Tugers looked lifeless on Wednesday, the team was in desperate need of a victory on Thursday night.
In the unfamiliar territory of looking up to the Guardians in the American League Central, the Tigers' season may have been saved on Thursday night. The Tigers launched three home runs as part of a 4-2 victory, and now enter the weekend tied with Guardians atop the division. September has been a roller coaster of emotions for Tigers fans and after Thursday's victory, AJ Hinch said what every fan had been thinking.
"Everyone needs to see a little bit of positivity in the game," Hinch said. "We are human. We feed off a ton of things, including the good things. Of course everyone takes a collective breath."
AJ Hinch delivers emotional postgame truth that hits home for Tigers fans
So, yeah. They're feeling it. We're all feeling it. And the little moments really matter.
The hope is that the Tigers can feed off the jolt of life they showed against the Guardians on Thursday night. For most of the season, the Tigers have been the best team in baseball, and last night's victory was a reminder of that.
Still, the work is far from done for the Tigers. If Thursday's victory is truly meant to be the day that the September collapse was halted and the Tigers' season was saved, they will need to take care of business against the Boston Red Sox this weekend.
The Tigers do not control their destiny for the division title, as the Guardians' magic number is three. The good news, however, is that Detroit remains in control of their postseason fate with a magic number of 2. Even if the Guardians do win the division, the Tigers could slide into the postseason as the final American League Wild Card team.