The Tigers wasted a brilliant pitching effort by Casey Mize in a 4-3 walk-off loss against the Red Sox in Boston on Friday.

DETROIT – There are two ways the Detroit Tigers can clinch a playoff spot on Saturday. Even though the Tigers blew a 3-0 lead and lost on a ninth-inning walk-off Friday night in Boston, they inched closer to a playoff spot when the Houston Astros lost to the Los Angeles Angels.

Now boasting an 88-72 record, the Red Sox hold the second American League wild-card spot and sit two games ahead of the Tigers, who sit in the third spot. “We didn’t come here to play 162, we came here to win the World Series,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said to his team in the locker room before a champagne-spraying celebration.

Here in September, with the losses mounting, the Tigers have struggled to cash in. "It all counts," A.J. Hinch said. "It all matters."

Major League Baseball is entering the final weekend of the regular season, and there's no question about which series is the most crucial on paper. The Boston Red Sox will host the Detroit Tigers for three games beginning on Friday night,

When remembering this week's three-game series against the Cleveland Guardians, the Detroit Tigers will at least be able to say, "It could have been worse." The Tigers defeated the Guardians 4-2 on Thursday to salvage the series and stem a free fall that has seen them go from runaway leaders of the AL Central to desperately trying to hold onto a playoff spot.

Boston clinches its first postseason berth since 2021, and Toronto and New York are tied for first in the East with two games remaining.