Despite loss, Tigers look ahead in playoff chase

DETROIT — The Comerica Park grounds crew spent the waning hours of Sunday afternoon tending to the infield after kids ran the bases. The crew did not prepare the field for winter, despite the Tigers’ struggles to round the bases themselves over the weekend.

The Tigers’ season isn’t over yet, not even after losing, 3-1, to the Orioles on Sunday to drop two out of three and lose ground in the American League Central and Wild Card races. But with three weeks to go, there’s work to do, and not by the grounds crew.

“I mean, if you win two and someone loses two in the next two days, this isn’t even a question,” manager Brad Ausmus said, referring to Detroit’s deficit in the Wild Card. “To start worrying about whether we’re hamstrung two games out on Sept. 11, I think is — no offense – but not even a good question.

“We’re going to come back and try to win. We’ve got a shot at making the playoffs.”

The difference is in the level of control. This weekend represented the Tigers’ opportunity to control their fate against the team holding the second Wild Card spot. It would have taken a sweep from either side to truly swing the race, but by taking two of three, Baltimore added a game …

continue reading in source mlb.mlb.com