2012 MLB Playoff Standings: Tigers Lose Ground Sunday, Sit Two Games Back

The Detroit Tigers lost ground on the Chicago White Sox Sunday and now sit two games back of the division lead in the AL Central. The Tigers lost to the Cleveland Indians, 7-6 while the White Sox crushed the Minnesota Twins, 9-2.

Detroit took a one-run lead into the ninth inning, but closer Jose Valverde could not convert the save opportunity, allowing two runs to score and lost the game, 7-6. Chicago had no such difficulty. The White Sox took advantage of a quality start from pitcher Jake Peavy and ran away from Minnesota with a six-run sixth inning.

Detroit plays the White Sox once more, a make-up game from a rainout earlier this month. Each team has only 17 more games to play this season.

The option of a playoff berth via Wild Card is becoming less and less plausible for the Tigers. They currently sit 4.5 games out of the second Wild Card spot and are in fifth place in the overall Wild Card standings.

For complete MLB standings, click here.

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Tigers Vs. Indians Final Score: Detroit Blows Lead Late, Falls 7-6

The Detroit Tigers suffered a tough loss to the Cleveland Indians, falling 7-6 after holding the lead in the final inning.

After jumping out to a 3-0 lead, the Tigers would then give up two runs in the fourth and fifth innings to allow the Tribe to go ahead, 4-3. The Indians would add one more run in the fifth to go up, 5-3.

Tigers starter Rick Porcello struggled, giving up the four runs on eight hits in 4.2 innings, while striking out two and walking four.

The Tigers would get the crushing blow when Miguel Cabrera hit his 38th home run of the year with two runners on to go up, 6-5.

The bullpen held off the Indians until the bottom of the ninth when a Jason Kipnis double set up a Carlos Santana RBI triple that tied the game. Lonnie Chisenhall then picked up the win with a walk-off single.

Head over to Bless You Boys for more Tigers coverage, and check out Baseball Nation for even more news from around the league. Check out Let's Go Tribe for some more info on the Indians.

Tigers Vs. Indians Preview: Detroit Looks To Complete Sweep

Rick Porcello (9-12, 4.59 ERA) starts for the Detroit Tigers as they try to complete a sweep of the Cleveland Indians at 3:05 p.m. Sunday.

Porcello tries to end his personal seven-game losing streak. In the last six of those losses, he's given up three earned runs or fewer. The Tigers have only scored 10 runs in support of Porcello in those seven games.

Porcello is 0-2 with a 5.73 ERA in two starts against the Indians this season.

Ubaldo Jimenez (9-16, 5.52 ERA) starts for Cleveland. Jimenez is also on a losing streak, taking losses in five straight decisions. He has faced the Tigers five times this season and he's 2-2 with a 4.02 ERA in those games.

The Tigers enter the game trailing the Chicago White Sox by one game in the AL Central standings. The Indians are tied for last in the Central with the Minnesota Twins.

Head over to Bless You Boys for more Tigers coverage, and check out Baseball Nation for even more news from around the league. Check out Let's Go Tribe for some more info on the Indians.

Tigers Vs. Indians Final Score: Detroit Picks Up Fourth-Straight With 5-3 Win

The Detroit Tigers seem to have finally shaken off their troubles against the Cleveland Indians. After Justin Verlander nailed them for a 4-0 shutout on Friday, they pulled out a 5-3 victory to go up 2-0 in their final series this season, with game three being on Sunday.

Anibal Sanchez made the start for the Tigers and picked up the win, and carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning. At that point, he was promptly nailed for a triple by Carlos Santana, and then gave up a double to Russ Canzler, which brought Santana home. A Lonnie Chisenhall single brought Canzler home, and Sanchez's night was over.

Asdrubal Cabrera singled in the eighth to score Cord Phelps, but that was all the scoring Cleveland could muster. Detroit already had their five runs by the time Cleveland had started that seventh-inning ralley. Justin Masterson was shelled for five runs (three earned) and lasted into the fifth inning. Catcher Alex Avila had two RBIs off of three hits on the day, while Miguel Cabrera and Austin Jackson added the other two scores for the Tigers.

With the win, Detroit remains one game back of the Chicago White Sox for the AL Central lead. Chicago bested the Minnesota Twins earlier on Saturday to maintain their lead, and the two teams are set to meet on Monday to play series finale that was postponed prior to the present series. But first, the Tigers have the Indians again at 3:05 p.m. ET on Sunday.

Head over to Bless You Boys for more Tigers coverage, and check out Baseball Nation for even more news from around the league. Check out Let's Go Tribe for some more info on the Indians.

Tigers Vs. Indians Preview: Detroit Hopes For Another Easy Victory

Both the Detroit Tigers and Chicago White Sox defeated their inferior competition on Friday night, meaning that the Tigers were unable to bring themselves into a tie for first place in the AL Central. They'll have another shot on Saturday when they take the field for Game 2 of their weekend series with the Cleveland Indians.

The Tigers will be led by starting pitcher Anibal Sanchez, who has settled into the American League and provided the type of pitching that Detroit thought they traded for when they acquired Sanchez from the Miami Marlins. In his last four starts, Sanchez has allowed only five earned runs in 26.2 innings pitched. He last faced the Indians on Sept. 3, when he gave up no earned runs in six innings.

Detroit will be facing Justin Masterson, who has had one of the most up-and-down seasons in baseball in 2012. For instance, he faced the Tigers last on Sept. 4, allowing two earned runs in six innings, but that start was sandwiched by two in which he gave up a combined 14 earned runs.

The game will start at 4:05 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on FOX.

Head over to Bless You Boys for more Tigers coverage, and check out Baseball Nation for even more news from around the league. Check out Let's Go Tribe for some more info on the Indians.

Tigers Vs. Indians: Delmon Young Will Sit Saturday, Quintin Berry Will Start Saturday

The Detroit Tigers, coming off a 4-0 win over the Cleveland Indians in Friday's series opener, will have some lineup changes for Saturday's game, which starts at 4:05 p.m., according to Jason Beck of MLB.com:

Delmon will sit tomorrow against Masterson. Quintin Berry will get a start in outfield.

— Jason Beck (@beckjason) September 15, 2012

Delmon Young is hitting .271 with 17 home runs this season, however he's hitting just .245 with one home run in 14 games against the Indians. He's also just 4-for-23 (.174) over his last six games.

Berry is hitting .266 with two home runs and 25 RBIs in 81 games. The primary weapon he brings to the lineup is speed. He's 19-for-19 in stolen base opportunities this season.

Head over to Bless You Boys for more Tigers coverage, and check out Baseball Nation for even more news from around the league. Check out Let's Go Tribe for some more info on the Indians.

Tigers Vs. Indians Final Score: Detroit Blanks Cleveland In Friday Night Victory

The Detroit Tigers would like a clean sweep of the Cleveland Indians, and on Friday night they got one-third of the way there with an uneventful 4-to-0 victory at Progressive Field. Justin Verlander took the hill for Detroit and kept Cleveland's bats in check, shutting out the Indians for seven innings while striking out six and only allowing six hits. Joaquin Benoit and Jose Valverde each pitched a scoreless inning in relief.

The Tigers put up two runs in each of the first two innings and were quiet from then on, but it was more than enough. Delmon Young and Brennan Boesch each singled home a run in the first inning, and Austin Jackson (double) and Miguel Cabrera (single) were responsible for the two runs an inning later.

The two teams will get back on the field on Saturday at 4:05 p.m. ET, with Anibal Sanchez taking on Justin Masterson.

Head over to Bless You Boys for more Tigers coverage, and check out Baseball Nation for even more news from around the league. Check out Let's Go Tribe for some more info on the Indians.

Tigers Vs. Indians: Lineups Announced

The three game series between the Tigers and Indians beginning on Friday night will be the final one of the season between the two AL Central teams. One game behind the White Sox for the AL Central lead, this series is a crucial one for the Tigers if they hope to make the postseason.

Tigers

1. Austin Jackson (R) CF
2. Andy Dirks (L) LF
3. Miguel Cabrera (R) 3B
4. Prince Fielder (L) 1B
5. Delmon Young (R) DH
6. Brennan Boesch (L) RF
7. Jhonny Peralta (R) SS
8. Alex Avila (L) C
9. Omar Infante (R) 2B

Indians

1. Shin-Soo Choo (L) RF
2. Jason Kipnis (L) 2B
3. Carlos Santana (S) C
4. Russ Canzler (R) LF
5. Casey Kotchman (L) 1B
6. Lonnie Chisenhall (L) 3B
7. Matt LaPorta (R) DH
8. Ezequiel Carrera (L) CF
9. Jason Donald (R) SS

The first pitch on Friday night is scheduled to be thrown at 7:05 p.m. ET.

Head over to Bless You Boys for more Tigers coverage, and check out Baseball Nation for even more news from around the league. Check out Let's Go Tribe for some more info on the Indians.

Tigers Vs. Indians: Detroit Looks To Take Share Of AL Central

Friday's game against the Indians could be the one that allows the Tigers to tie the White Sox for the AL Central lead.