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Fearless Tigers surging like 2003 Marlins in wild-card push
The Detroit Tigers (82-74) weren’t supposed to be here. But with a week left in the regular season, they’ve become baseball’s most dangerous underdog.
Tied for the second AL wild-card spot with the Royals, Detroit is surging at just the right time — echoing the improbable 2003 Marlins, who turned a September hot streak into a World Series title.
Now, these Tigers are playing with the same fearless energy, and they’ve got the talent to prove their run isn’t a fluke.
Entering Monday, FanGraphs gives Detroit the best odds among AL Central teams to clinch a wild-card berth, putting their chances at 70.8%, ahead of Kansas City (68.5%) and Minnesota (53.8%).
Like the 2003 Marlins, who had an average lineup age of 26.9, these Tigers are incredibly young. On Sunday, Detroit fielded a starting lineup with an average age of 24.6 years.
The lack of veteran experience, which can be a disadvantage for many teams, has instead become a strength. They’re too young to feel the weight of a postseason chase, too naive to know they’re not supposed to be this good.
“We just kept winning games,” right fielder Kerry Carpenter told MLB.com's Jason Beck after Sunday’s win. “So that's what we'll keep doing now. Not going to grasp at anything or chase anything. We're just going to go out there and play like we can play. When we do that, we play well. We have a bunch of guys here that can play baseball and win games in the big leagues, so it's fun.”
Leading the charge for Detroit is ace Tarik Skubal, whose dominance this season has put him in the conversation for the Cy Young Award. Skubal’s latest outing — a five-inning, seven-strikeout gem — pushed his record to 17-4 while lowering his AL-leading ERA to 2.48.
Tarik Skubal, Nasty 88mph Changeup.
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 19, 2024
7th K...and gets so fired up that he knocks his glove off his hand. pic.twitter.com/hrkxEId8aJ
With Skubal on the mound, the Tigers have a legitimate ace, the type of dominant arm that makes a deep playoff run possible. Just as Josh Beckett carried the 2003 Marlins — he was named the World Series MVP — Skubal could very well be the key to the Tigers’ postseason hopes.
Then there’s Parker Meadows and Riley Greene, two young outfielders who have been revelations for Detroit. Greene, playing in 131 games this season, made his first All-Star team and leads all Tigers position players with a 5.2 WAR.
Meadows, on the other hand, has delivered game-changing plays like his stunning home-run robbery against Baltimore. His leaping catch in the fifth inning on Sunday preserved a 3-3 tie and shifted the game’s momentum.
Parker Meadows brings this baseball back! pic.twitter.com/au8kwkHD9c
— MLB (@MLB) September 22, 2024
Just two pitches later, Carpenter blasted his second home run of the day, giving the Tigers the lead and proving this team can handle high-pressure moments.
Manager A.J. Hinch has been a key figure in the Tigers’ resurgence, earning comparisons to Jack McKeon, the veteran manager who took over the 2003 Marlins midseason and led them to a championship. Hinch is a player's manager who knows how to get the most out of his squad.
“I love this team,” Hinch told USA Today's Gabe Lacques. “I love what we’re doing to fight every game like it’s the last game of the season. That’s how we’ve operated and that’s how we’re going to continue to operate.”
Hinch’s psychology background and experience managing through pressure have helped this young team stay grounded. After his role in Houston’s sign-stealing scandal, he’s using this opportunity in Detroit to rewrite his legacy, much like McKeon did with his Cinderella run.
The Tigers are poised for a run, fueled by one of the youngest rosters in baseball and an undeniable swagger. Skubal, Carpenter and Meadows are ready for the big stage, guided by Hinch's steady leadership.
This October, they’re not just chasing a postseason spot — they’re determined to prove they belong. So far, they’ve done just that.
More must-reads:
- Tigers' late surge shows the negative impact of Javier Baez
- Yankees star Aaron Judge is anxious to 'take care of business'
- The 'Switch-hitter single-season HR leaders' quiz
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Mets' Pete Alonso addresses uncertain future amid club's collapse
For the second straight year, first baseman Pete Alonso made what may go down as the final regular-season appearance at Citi Field of his New York Mets career on Sunday as the club suffered a 3-2 loss to the Washington Nationals that left the Amazins no longer in control of their own path to the playoffs. Following that result, Alonso spoke openly about his unsettled future. Pete Alonso confident the "right thing" will happen this offseason "We’ll see what happens, but I am a firm believer that the right thing is going to happen," Alonso said, as shared by Mike Puma of the New York Post. The market for Alonso's services never materialized as he and agent Scott Boras had hoped following the 2024 season. In fact, it seemed in late January of this year that Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns had little interest in giving Alonso a multi-year deal until Stearns and Mets owner Steve Cohen heard directly from fans who made it known that they wanted the club to hold onto the "Polar Bear." In the end, Cohen and Alonso agreed to a two-year, $54M contract with a player opt-out after this season. The 30-year-old slugger is widely expected to test free agency this coming fall considering what he's achieved this season. According to ESPN stats, Alonso began ranks second in all of MLB with 122 RBI on the season, eighth with 37 home runs and ninth with an .876 OPS. Does Pete Alonso want to stay with Mets? "This place has been really special to me," Alonso said about his only MLB home since his big-league debut in 2019. "The fans are awesome, super passionate and really dedicated to this team." That said, it's unclear how much Cohen will be willing to spend on a right-handed power-hitting first baseman in his 30s after the Mets signed star outfielder Juan Soto to a 15-year, $765M contract that could exceed $800M total last offseason. Alonso could prove his worth to the Mets by carrying the club back to the postseason after it and the Cincinnati Reds ended the weekend tied in the standings for the final National League wild-card spot. The Reds own the tiebreaker over the Mets. "If I had a nickel for how many times everyone in this room has [talked about] that and I received it, I’d be really rich," Alonso added about the chatter regarding his future. "So, again, we’ll see what happens." Alonso and the 80-76 Mets will begin a massive three-game series at the 88-68 Chicago Cubs on Tuesday evening.
Micah Parsons has savage response to Packers' loss to Browns
The Green Bay Packers are reeling after they blew a 10-0 lead at the start of the fourth quarter on Sunday. The Packers allowed the Cleveland Browns to score 13 unanswered points to win 13-10 in front of 65,470 fans at Huntington Bank Field. Following the game, defensive end Micah Parsons had a crude response to the comeback. "Sometimes, just like today, you s--- the bed," Parsons said via ESPN. "That's just the reality of it. It happens to the best teams. Even the best Super Bowl champs make mistakes, and they pay for it early. You go back to the history of the champions and who've they've played and games they should've won. It's just that competitive. "It's that hard to win. It's hard as hell to win football games. When you win football games, it's a celebration. But when you lose, it sucks." What went wrong for the Packers in loss to Browns Parsons and the Packers had a couple of major blunders in the final minute that they want back. Green Bay kicker Brandon McManus had a blocked field goal attempt that allowed the Browns a chance to get in range for a game-winning field goal. Parsons was called for a neutral zone infraction on the first play of the Browns' drive, allowing Cleveland to start the series from the Green Bay 48-yard line with 21 seconds remaining. Parsons apologized for the penalty, calling it "unacceptable." The All-Pro finished with two tackles. Parsons has extra motivation for avenging the loss against the Browns. The Packers are set to travel to play his former team, the Dallas Cowboys, on "Sunday Night Football" in Week 4.
Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield drops harsh quote about former coach after win
Quarterback Baker Mayfield was forced to lead a game-winning drive against the New York Jets after a blocked field goal returned for a touchdown took away a chance for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to ice the game at 29-20 with less than two minutes to play. With 1:49 remaining in the fourth quarter, Mayfield engineered a seven-play, 48-yard drive that ended in a successful 36-yard field goal attempt by kicker Chase McLaughlin to give the Buccaneers a 3-0 start with a 29-27 win over the Jets in front of 62,872 fans at Raymond James Stadium. What Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield had to say about former coach Following the game, Mayfield said he felt vindicated by beating New York, especially defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, who cut the former first-round pick (after using him as a scout-team defensive lineman) when he was the interim head coach of the Carolina Panthers in 2022. “I loved it," Mayfield said of beating the Jets via Ari Meirov of the 33rd Team. "Their D-coordinator (Steve Wilks) was the one who cut me in Carolina. A lot of stuff was personal today. Haason Reddick. Former Jet. A lot of people.” The loss dropped Wilks and first-year head coach Aaron Glenn to 0-3. The Jets fought hard with backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor filling in for Justin Fields, who is still in the concussion protocol from Week 2. Mayfield didn't impress Wilks during his time in Carolina, but he showed the defensive coordinator why he's worthy to be a starter in the league. Mayfield went 19-of-29 passing for 233 yards and one touchdown on Sunday. He added 44 yards rushing on four carries against Wilks' defense.
Maxx Crosby’s anger caught on camera during ugly Raiders loss to Commanders
Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby didn’t hide his disappointment Sunday after Washington Commanders wide receiver Luke McCaffrey was left wide open for a touchdown late, and cameras caught Crosby shaking his head in frustration. Crosby looked visibly upset as the cameras caught him mouthing, “he was wide open,” after the TD as he sat on the bench. The Raiders dropped the game 41-24 at Northwest Stadium, a matchup that exposed holes in all three of Las Vegas’ phases. The Commanders hit big plays early and kept applying pressure. Washington quarterback Marcus Mariota, filling in for the injured Jayden Daniels, threw for 207 yards with a touchdown and added 40 yards on the ground with another score. McCaffrey’s highlight came with 2:05 left in the fourth when Mariota found him for a 43-yard touchdown, putting the game out of reach. That play visibly frustrated Crosby, who felt the defensive coverage broke down. Raiders quarterback Geno Smith had a tough day. He threw for 289 yards and three touchdowns, but was sacked five times, and the offensive line repeatedly failed to contain Washington’s pass rush. On the other side, Tre Tucker was almost single-handedly keeping Las Vegas in it early, catching eight passes for 145 yards and scoring all three Raiders touchdowns, one of which was a 61-yard bomb. The Commanders piled up big play after big play. Deebo Samuel set the tone with a 69-yard kickoff return. Jeremy McNichols rumbled 60 yards for a touchdown late in the first half to help Washington seize momentum. Jaylin Lane added a 90-yard punt return touchdown in the third quarter. Crosby’s visible anger wasn’t just about one play. It reflected the Raiders’ broader breakdowns, busted assignments, missed tackles, and explosive plays given up. As Las Vegas drops to 1-2 on the season, moments like the McCaffrey touchdown are going to sting. Win or lose, fans and teammates expect more discipline. For Crosby, who has made a reputation for relentless effort, this was one of those games that tests composure. And judging by his reaction, he knows it.
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