Phil Coke: "We Got The Monkey Off Our Back, It's Been There All Year" [VIDEO]
Coke, who has talked sometimes during the season, hasn't recently until Detroit clinched the AL Central on Sunday afternoon.
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Coke, who has talked sometimes during the season, hasn't recently until Detroit clinched the AL Central on Sunday afternoon.
As fans chanted "Let's go, Joe! Let's go, Joe!" and stood together, Nathan threw a one-two-three inning, sealing the deal for Detroit, which has now won the division in four straight seasons.
With the pressure on - the Tigers ultimately delivered, shutting out Minnesota, 3-1.
The Tigers face the Baltimore Orioles in the AL Division Series.
Jose Altuve has been added to the Houston Astros' lineup after the team reversed course on its original decision to bench him — against his wishes — in an attempt to protect his lead in the American League batting race.
Throughout a topsy-turvy first season as manager of the Detroit Tigers, Brad Ausmus has been careful not to show any sign of panic — even when his team was stumbling through a terrible stretch in late May or struggling to keep pace in August.
Whether the Tigers find their form Sunday or not, back-to-back blowout losses to the last-place Twins leave a sour taste for the team.
"There's not really much we can do about it," Ausmus said of Porcello's September woes. "He's one of our starters, so he's going to pitch."
The Tigers had a chance to clinch their fourth-straight A.L. Central Division title with a win and a Royals loss; the Royals beat the White Sox, 3-1.
The Detroit Tigers pitching staff recorded 1,428 strikeouts in 2013, a mark that was broken by the Cleveland Indians against the Rays on Friday night.
Gibson and Trammell were teammates on the 1984 Detroit Tigers team that won the franchise's most recent World Series.
White Sox manager Robin Ventura is taking with Detroit Tigers skipper Brad Ausmus for accusing ace Chris Sale of throwing at Victor Martinez.
The Tigers, who have already clinched a postseason berth, can wrap up a fourth straight division championship as early as Friday.
To be sure, the Tigers are happy to be a lock for the playoffs, but they want the division, not the wild card.
With the Detroit Tigers clinching a playoff spot, it means you can now buy their official postseason cap.
The Detroit Tigers looked dormant with the bats until a pitch from Chicago's Chris Sale hit Victor Martinez around the back of his left shoulder.
Verlander pitched his final regular season start of 2014 better than he had pitched all season.
"It's a little weak that they would hit him," Ausmus said. "If they injure Victor there and we're in the playoff hunt, that's bad news."
Justin Verlander pitched eight impressive innings, and the Detroit Tigers inched closer to a postseason spot Wednesday, rallying after benches cleared in the sixth inning to beat the Chicago White Sox 6-1.
Chicago White Sox ace Chris Sale and Detroit's Victor Martinez exchanged words in the sixth inning Wednesday, causing the benches and bullpens to empty briefly. The situation didn't escalate.
"I think certain guys have, when the stage is bigger and the spotlight's brighter, they turn up their concentration, their game is elevated," Ausmus said. "I think there is some truth to that."
Detroit is one game ahead of the second-place Royals, who beat Cleveland 2-0 Monday night, after the Indians finished off a victory in a suspended game against Kansas City.
Detroit Tigers right fielder Torii Hunter made a believer out of new Tigers manager Brad Ausmus.
Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said he feels comfortable using starter-turned-reliever Anibal Sanchez at any point in a game.
The Royals avoided a three-game sweep and moved within 1 1/2 games of the AL Central-leading Tigers.
