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    • Detroit Tigers playoff tied with 4-1 win over Chicago White Sox
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    Detroit Tigers playoff tied with 4-1 win over Chicago White Sox

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    The Detroit Tigers are heading to the postseason for the first time since 2014.

    Needing one win to establish themselves, the Tigers took the lead in the fifth inning and never looked back for a 4-1 win over the Chicago White Sox on Friday in the opener of a three-game series at Comerica Park in front of a sellout audience. 44,435 strong.

    Now that the Tigers have earned one of the three wild-card spots in the American League, the final two games of the regular season only matter for seeding purposes.

    The postseason starts on Tuesday.

    Not only are the Tigers (86-74) snapping a nine-year postseason drought – the longest active streak in MLB – but the White Sox also set the MLB record with 121 losses (in 160 games), becoming the worst team in modern baseball. history, surpassing the 1962 New York Mets.

    Meanwhile, the Tigers own an MLB-best 31-11 record in 42 games since August 11. The postseason win over the White Sox extended the Tigers’ winning streak to six games, part of 10 wins in their past 11 games. .

    Taking the lead

    The Tigers took a 2-0 lead in the fifth inning.

    The offense was virtually lifeless against White Sox left-hander Garrett Crochet, but when left-handed reliever Jared Shuster replaced him, everything changed.

    The Tigers immediately loaded the bases with Jake Rogers (walk), Parker Meadows (single) and Andy Ibáñez (walk). The situation resulted in runs: Rogers scored on a wild pitch for a 1-0 lead and Meadows scored on Matt Vierling’s sacrifice fly for a 2-0 lead.

    Vierling is the only position player on the Tigers’ active roster with postseason experience, including three games with the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2022 World Series.

    Extend the lead

    The Tigers scored two runs in the seventh inning to take a 4-1 lead.

    Ibáñez, who has struggled lately, ripped a one-out double to left-center field off left-handed reliever Fraser Ellard. He advanced to third base on the play because of a fielding error by center fielder Dominic Fletcher.

    The White Sox intentionally walked Vierling to put runners on the corners for Riley Greene, who immediately launched Ellard’s first pitch cutter into center wall.

    Greene’s RBI double drove in Ibáñez to put the Tigers ahead, 3-1. Another wild pitch by the White Sox allowed Vierling to score from third base, making the score 4-1.

    On the hill

    Right-hander Brenan Hanifee, a traditional reliever, worked as an opener in Friday’s playoff game. He covered two scoreless innings before giving way to left-hander Brant Hurter.

    Hurter worked as a bulk reliever.

    The former Triple-A starter needed 53 pitches to put down four innings, allowing one run on two hits and zero walks with one strikeout. His first-pitch sweeper was launched for a solo home run by Zach DeLoach – the first of his MLB career – with two outs in the sixth inning.

    Aside from one swing, Hurter shut down the White Sox over his four innings.

    From there, the Tigers used three relievers to reach the finish: right-hander Will Vest for the seventh inning and the first two outs in the eighth inning, followed by left-hander Tyler Holton for the third out in the eighth inning and the first two outs of the ninth inning.

    Right-hander Jason Foley joined in, as he had done 40 times this season, and got the final out against the White Sox, sending the Tigers back to the postseason.

    Contact Evan Petzold at [email protected] or follow him @EvanPetzold.

    Listen to our weekly Tigers show “Days of Roar” on demand every Monday afternoon on freep.com, Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. And check out all our podcasts and daily voice prompts at freep.com/podcasts.

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