Guardians playoff path: Where does Cleveland stand with one week left?

This late season, dramatic squad has somehow found themselves in position again to make a run. The Guardians bullpen, the starting pitching and timely offense has sparked some September delight. The series against the Tigers is crucial, based on how that goes they will either be the biggest Tigers fans outside of the Motor City or turn into Bostonians going into the weekend. 

Tigers: Same thing as the Guardians, their destiny is also controlled. If they can beat the Guardians or sweep them in the series they will be able to likely win the division. If not, it could turn into a duel for the wild card in Boston to end the season. 

Red Sox: The Sox hold tie breakers over each team including the Guardians. Since the Roman Anthony injury , they have lost a lot of their magic. Throughout the summer, it felt like guys such as Ceddanne Rafaela were turning into All-Star caliber players, Trevor Story looked like he was in his prime and the pitching staff was lights out, but as of late it has come crashing down. The Red Sox losing out could be another way the Guardians get into the playoffs. 

Astros: The Stros’ need help, losing tie breakers hurts them badly. On the flipside, they have the weakest of the remaining schedules by a lot. For the Guardians, Red Sox and Tigers, it would be best if they lost a couple and saw themselves on an early flight to Cancun for the summer. Getting swept by the Mariners this weekend was a killer for their playoff chances but they are by no means out. 

Mariners: The Mariners have surged and grabbed the AL West. Quietly, Seattle has become one of the most balanced teams in the league, pairing a young rotation with a lineup that has enough pop to win them games. Sweeping Houston was fantastic for their playoff chances. If they can take care of business against the Rockies, they should be able to just nab one off the Dodgers and make the playoffs.

The Guardians Final Test

For the Guardians, the math is simple: beat Detroit, and the door to October swings wide open.

The three game set against the triggers is essentially a divisional playoff round in disguise. Win it, and Cleveland not only gains ground, but hands Detroit crucial losses. Lose it, and the Central slips away and Cleveland falls into a messy wild card race that they want no part of.