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The Detroit Tigers are one win away from the American League Championship Series, after a bullpen game 3-0 win over the Cleveland Guardians on Wednesday.

On Aug. 22, the Tigers were 62-66, with the 10th best record in the American League. They were 11.5 games behind the first place Guardians and had been outscored on the regular season. Detroit then went 24-10 to finish out the regular season and secure a miraculous postseason berth. After trading away their No. 2 starter, Jack Flaherty.

Now, with effectively one starting pitcher and a lineup filled with castoffs, minor league players and unheralded complimentary pieces, they’re on the doorstep of one of the most surprising ALCS berths in recent history. And doing a spectacular job of exposing the randomness and absurdities of the modern MLB postseason format in the process.

Wild card mlb playoffs tarik skubal

HOUSTON, TEXAS – OCTOBER 01: Tarik Skubal #29 of the Detroit Tigers reacts recording a strikeout against the Houston Astros in the sixth inning during Game One of the Wild Card Series at Minute Maid Park on October 01, 2024 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)

Tigers Hold Off Guardians Behind Dominant Bullpen Effort

The Tigers 3-0 win was a microcosm of modern baseball; a parade of relievers and one “bulk” guys filling the role of a traditional starter. 

Keider Montero “started” the game, before Brant Hurter went three and a third scoreless innings, despite allowing five hits. Beau Brieske got through two dominant innings with three strikeouts, Sean Guenther, Will Vest and Tyler Holton finished out the game by allowing just one combined hit.

The Guardians were 0-8 with runners in scoring position, and were just 2-29 outside of Steven Kwan. The Tigers, meanwhile, got an RBI single from Riley Greene, sac fly from Matt Vierling and sixth inning double from Spencer Torkelson. 

This is how baseball works. Ask even die-hard baseball fans to name the entire Tigers pitching staff or their most commonly used starting lineup, and they’d be hard-pressed to get past a few names. But in the modern playoff bracket designed to pad MLB’s bottom line, all it takes is winning 85-86 games and getting into the tournament. 

From there, it’s an exercise in randomness. Gone are the days of dominant regular season teams surging through the postseason, or even gaining an advantage from finishing with the best record or a division championship. Starting pitchers are clearly unnecessary too, considering the Tigers ability to roll out unheralded, inexpensive relievers in a designed “pitching chaos” strategy.

It’s an oft-repeated cliche that you can’t predict baseball, and the 2024 Tigers might be the best example of how little anything actually matters outside of getting hot at the right time.