The Detroit Tigers are taking full advantage of this weekend's vital series with the AL Central-leading Chicago White Sox, winning the first two games and moving within one game of the division lead. The two teams could potentially be tied atop the standings after the final game of their series Sunday.
In the Wild Card race, the Tigers are four games behind the leading Oakland Athletics and two games behind the Baltimore Orioles in the second Wild Card spot. Oakland charged to a Wild Card lead behind their current eight-game winning streak. They stand only three games behind the division-leading Texas Rangers. The Tampa Bay Rays and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are also in the Wild Card mix, and the New York Yankees are leading the AL East.
In the NL, the San Francisco Giants hold a 4.5-game lead over the Dodgers in the West. The Washington Nationals and Cincinnati Reds each presently hold comfortable division leads, 6.5 and 8.5, respectively. The Pittsburgh Pirates are almost out of reach in the Central at 10 games back, but they find themselves very much in the Wild Card mix, only 1.5 games out of a playoff spot. The Atlanta Braves and St. Louis Cardinals hold the two Wild Card spots as of today.
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