The Detroit Tigers polished off a sweep of the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday as the playoff race comes down to the final weekend of the regular season.

Parker Meadows and Spencer Torkelson homered, and the Detroit Tigers strengthened their bid for an AL wild card with a 7-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday night.

Shohei Ohtani hit a two-out grand slam in the ninth inning for his 40th homer after earlier stealing his 40th base, lifting the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 7-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday night.

The Tampa Bay Rays lost their bid for a combined no-hitter when Arizona’s Corbin Carroll hit a leadoff single against Tyler Alexander in the seventh inning.

"I wonder what Victor Reyes is up to these days," is a thought that sent me down a rabbit hole of recent Detroit Tigers role players.

Texas Rangers left-hander Andrew Heaney tied an AL record by striking out nine consecutive batters against the Kansas City Royals.

Cody Bellinger, Brian Anderson and Luke Voit were among 83 players who became free agents when their former teams declined to offer them contracts for next season.

Javier Báez taunted Chicago fans after hitting a home run and the Detroit Tigers won 7-2, pushing the White Sox closer to elimination in the AL Central.

Detroit Tigers left-hander Tyler Alexander has pitched six no-hit innings against the Baltimore Orioles.

Shohei Ohtani had his sixth multi-homer game of the season, Mike Trout also went deep and José Suarez threw three-hit ball over seven innings as the Los Angeles Angels routed the skidding Detroit Tigers 10-0.

Bobby Witt Jr.’s eighth-inning double brought in the go-ahead run and the Kansas City Royals edged the Detroit Tigers 3-2.

Cal Raleigh sparked a six-run third with a solo homer and capped it with a sacrifice fly as the Seattle Mariners rolled past the Detroit Tigers 9-3.

Shane Bieber pitched seven dominant innings, Oscar Gonzalez drove in two runs and the Cleveland Guardians beat the Detroi Tigers 5-2 for their third straight win.

Yu Chang and Yandy Diaz drew bases-loaded walks in a seven-run ninth inning to help the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Detroit Tigers 7-0.

Matt Chapman hit two home runs, Yusei Kikuchi came off the injured list to pitch five solid innings and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Detroit Tigers 5-3 for their 10th victory in 12 games.

Kody Clemens hit his first major league home run to lead the Detroit Tigers to a 6-3 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Miguel Cabrera hit a go-ahead RBI single in the eighth inning and the Detroit Tigers completed a two-game sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates with a 3-1 victory.

Josh Donaldson hit a 10th-inning sacrifice fly, and the New York Yankees came from behind twice to beat the Detroit Tigers 5-4 to reach the one-third mark of the season at 39-15, the best in the major leagues in 21 years.

Sonny Gray compiled a season-high 10 strikeouts over seven sharp innings, carrying the Minnesota Twins past the Detroit Tigers 2-0 for their sixth straight victory.

Tigers starter Michael Pineda exited early after a line drive broke a finger on his pitching hand and the Detroit dominated the rest of the way, teaming on a four-hitter to beat the Baltimore Orioles 3-0.

Paul Blackburn threw 6 2/3 strong innings to improve to 4-0 as the Oakland A’s shutout the Detroit Tigers 2-0 to snap a season-high nine-game losing streak.

Bryan Reynolds doubled in Pittsburgh’s two-run seventh inning, and the Pirates beat the Detroit Tigers 7-2 to split a doubleheader.

Justin Turner and Chris Taylor each hit their first home runs of the season to lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 5-1 win over the Detroit Tigers.

Rafael Devers singled through the open shortstop area with the infield shifted to the right side, driving in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning as the Boston Red Sox overcame a three-run deficit to beat the Detroit Tigers 5-3.

The Detroit Tigers announced their final roster moves of the offseason Wednesday, revealing the 28 players who will make up the Opening Day roster.

A bullpen that once appeared to be the Detroit Tigers’ greatest strength now appears to be a glaring weakness as Opening Day arrives.

Pitcher Michael Pineda and the Detroit Tigers reached a one-year deal Saturday, the latest move by a team that’s been active before and after the 99-day lockout.

Miguel Cabrera showed up Sunday morning for the start of his 20th spring training camp in the majors, his 15th with the Detroit Tigers.

This will be the first meaningful offseason for the Detroit Tigers in half a decade, as the team hopes to take another leap from surprisingly competitive to legitimate playoff contender.

A surprisingly enjoyable Detroit Tigers season has come to an end, and between the development of the current players and several emerging prospects, the team could be competitive next year.

Akil Baddoo and Victor Reyes drove in two runs apiece and the Detroit Tigers stalled the Chicago White Sox’s drive for the AL Central title with a 5-3 victory.

Carlos Rodón was pulled after three rocky innings and the Chicago White Sox, closing in on the AL Central title, squandered a three-run lead in a 4-3 loss to the Detroit Tigers.

The Detroit Tigers certainly appear to be trending in the right direction, and this entire rebuild has centered around starting pitching. But beyond Casey Mize and Tarik Skubal, who will be part of the staff next season?

Max Stassi hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the eighth inning and the Los Angeles Angels overcome an eight-run deficit to beat the Detroit Tigers 13-10 on Thursday.

Cleveland rookie Ernie Clement hit the first two homers of his career while Miguel Cabrera stayed one drive short of No. 500 as the Indians beat the Detroit Tigers 7-4.

Miguel Cabrera remained two home runs shy of 500, but Tyler Alexander tossed a season-high 5 1/3 scoreless innings as the Detroit Tigers edged the Cleveland Indians 2-1.

Matt Manning pitched six strong innings and the Detroit Tigers won their sixth straight game, beating the skidding Texas Rangers 4-2.

Miami Marlins infielder Eddy Alvarez and four-time Olympic women’s basketball gold medalist Sue Bird will be the U.S. flag bearers for the opening ceremonies of the Tokyo Games.

Jacob deGrom struck out nine straight batters against Colorado, falling one shy of matching Tom Seaver’s major league record.

New York Mets pitcher Jacob deGrom struck out nine straight batters against Colorado, falling one shy of matching the major league record set 51 years earlier by Mets great Tom Seaver.

A pair of three-time Cy Young Award winners square off when Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers face Max Scherzer and the Nationals in a marquee matchup between the past two World Series champions.

The Twins have lost three times this season -- all of them in 10th inning with the automatic runner on second base.

C Wilson RamosConfidence: LockRole: Starting catcherThere’s a legitimate three-way battle to back up Ramos, but everyone knows who the starter will be. AdSS Willi CastroConfidence: LockRole: Starting shortstopThere are going to be some defensive miscues, especially on the throw. As a result, the Tigers will have an extra roster spot to play with -- that’s why there will be 27 names on this list. He bet on himself and won, allowing just three runs while striking out 15 batters in 11 spring innings. If we’re being honest, a conversation about Baddoo as a starter feels more justified than a conversation about earning a roster spot.

DETROIT Jonathan Schoop hit a tiebreaking home run in the sixth inning, and the Detroit Tigers finished off a three-game sweep of the Minnesota Twins with a 3-2 victory Sunday. Detroit has won five straight to pull back to .500 on the season. Anything can happen in this short season, and there's a lot of openings.Jeimer Candelario also homered for the Tigers, and Jorge Polanco went deep for the Twins. He also hit three batters and threw a wild pitch that brought home a run in the second. Rich Hill (1-1) takes the mound for the Twins against Lucas Giolito (3-2), who threw a no-hitter in his previous start Tuesday.

Chicago Cubs shortstop Javier Baez celebrates after the final out in the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers in Detroit, Monday, Aug. 24, 2020. The Cubs won 9-3. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)DETROIT Javier Bez hit two home runs and the Chicago Cubs became the second franchise in major league history to post 11,000 wins, beating the Detroit Tigers 9-3 on Monday night. Bez followed with a two-run homer to make it 6-1. CUBS WINSThe Cubs won their first game against Louisville on April 25, 1876.

Chicago White Sox's Tim Anderson reacts after hitting a solo home run in the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Jeff Haynes)

(AP Photo/Paul Sancya)DETROIT Trevor Bauer made short work of the Detroit Tigers, capping Major League Baseball's first seven-inning doubleheader with a shutout. We've had a tough time in these first ten days, and we've especially struggled against Detroit, Bell said. Bauer wasn't confirmed as the starter for the second game until he arrived at the park. At one point in the first game, Cincinnati starter Anthony DeSclafani forgot the teams were only playing seven innings. Tigers: Detroit has Monday off, then is scheduled to host four games in three days against the St. Louis Cardinals.

DETROIT Jonathan Schoop and Christin Stewart each hit a two-run homer in the third inning to lift the Detroit Tigers to a 4-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night. Whit Merrifield launched a three-run shot in the top of the third for Kansas City, but the Tigers answered quickly and held on from there. There were a pair of blunders in the ninth on the same play when Detroit first baseman C.J. 'Kansas City starter Kyle Zimmer pitched two scoreless innings, then hit JaCoby Jones with a pitch to start the Detroit third. Kansas City recalled OF Nick Heath and RHP Jake Newberry.

DETROIT The Detroit Tigers revealed their final 30-man Opening Day roster for the 2020 season Thursday, just hours before the noon deadline. The Tigers had most of their roster figured out before the second round of spring training began, but there was still competition for the final bullpen and reserve spots. They had on-and-off moments throughout summer camp, and the Tigers could have gone with higher upside choices such as Shao-Ching Chiang or Nolan Blackwood. MORE: Did we see the Tigers Opening Day lineup on Tuesday? Greiner, Lugo and Mercer earned the final three spots over more exciting options such as Willi Castro and Derek Hill.

DETROIT When spring training resumed at the start of July, the Detroit Tigers had their starting rotation set in stone. Nobody wanted to see Zimmermann suffer another injury, but his time in Detroit has been a disaster any way you slice it. Split Fulmer and AlexanderProposed rotation: Boyd, Turnbull, Fulmer, Alexander, NovaThe option that seems most likely is the Tigers simply split up Fulmer and Alexander. Beau Burrows #37 of the Detroit Tigers pitches during the Detroit Tigers Summer Workouts at Comerica Park on July 6, 2020 in Detroit, Michigan. Casey Mize #74 of the Detroit Tigers pitches during the Detroit Tigers Summer Workouts at Comerica Park on July 6, 2020 in Detroit, Michigan.

DETROIT The Detroit Tigers sent 19 players to their alternate training site in Toledo on Monday, leaving 37 players to battle for 30 Opening Day roster spots. READ: How will the Tigers fill their final rotation spots after the Jordan Zimmermann injury? Haase and Rogers were fighting for what figured to be two or three catcher spots on the roster. That means seven of these 13 players will also be sent to Toledo or the taxi squad, while six make the roster. Lets assume its 11, leaving four bullpen spots and two reserve spots open.

DETROIT It almost doesnt seem real, but one week from Friday is the start of what could be the strangest Detroit Tigers season ever. Roster makeupPredicting the roster for a team like the Tigers -- with so many unproven players fighting for jobs -- is tricky even in a normal year. READ: Here are the players included on the Detroit Tigers spring training rosterMLB expanded rosters by one spot before the pandemic, allowing teams to carry 26 players. He gave up way too many runs, but hes looked better in both spring training segments. Reyes was much better than Stewart during spring training in March, when the latter struggled to make any solid contact.

DETROIT The Detroit Tigers have released their initial Club Player Pool, including 58 players who can participate in spring training. Schwindel was one of the nice success stories of spring training in March. Willi Castro could benefit from the extra roster spots, but Lugo feels like someone who could still end up on the outside looking in. ProspectsThese are the players Tigers fans are most anxious to see, and for good reason. Dingler made the cut just weeks after being the teams second-round draft pick, but hell likely just get some work in Toledo.

Justin Verlander #35 of the Houston Astros pitches in the first inning against the Detroit Tigers at Minute Maid Park on August 21, 2019 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)HOUSTON - The last-place Detroit Tigers only got two hits off of Justin Verlander on Wednesday night, but it was good enough to beat the World Series-contending Houston Astros in what was statistically the biggest MLB game upset in the last 15 years. That made Detroit the largest betting underdog in an MLB game in at least 15 years. JOHN HICKS FOR THE LEAD pic.twitter.com/Y8x1FhQAyP Detroit Tigers (@tigers) August 22, 2019Verlander was as advertised, pitching a complete game and allowing only two base runners -- solo home runs by Ronny Rodriguez and John Hicks. pic.twitter.com/TUDpYghwcA Detroit Tigers (@tigers) August 22, 2019Detroit is still three wins behind the Baltimore Orioles for the fewest in MLB, though the teams are now tied at 86 losses.

HOUSTON The last-place Detroit Tigers only got two hits off of Justin Verlander on Wednesday night, but it was good enough to beat the World Series-contending Houston Astros in what was statistically the biggest MLB game upset in the last 15 years. Tigers call out fan who promised to get tattoo if they beat AstrosThat made Detroit the largest betting underdog in an MLB game in at least 15 years. Going into the matchup, the Tigers were 44 wins behind the Astros -- 37-86 compared to 81-46. JOHN HICKS FOR THE LEAD pic.twitter.com/Y8x1FhQAyP Detroit Tigers (@tigers) August 22, 2019Verlander was as advertised, pitching a complete game and allowing only two base runners -- solo home runs by Ronny Rodriguez and John Hicks. pic.twitter.com/TUDpYghwcA Detroit Tigers (@tigers) August 22, 2019Detroit is still three wins behind the Baltimore Orioles for the fewest in MLB, though the teams are now tied at 86 losses.

The team already owns the worst record in baseball at 30-67, but what would the lineup and starting rotation look like without the best hitter and best starting pitcher on the roster? MORE: Dream deadline scenario for Detroit Tigers involving Castellanos, Boyd, Greene tradesRon Gardenhire tinkers with his lineup nearly every day. Starting rotationBoyd has become the unquestioned ace of the starting rotation over the last two years, and this season he's leading baseball in strikeout-to-walk ratio. If this ends up being the Tigers' starting rotation, it could be one of the worst in baseball history. The bottom line is: If Boyd gets traded, Turnbull is the only chance the Tigers have to feel good about every fifth game.

The team already owns the worst record in baseball at 30-67, but what would the lineup and starting rotation look like without the best hitter and best starting pitcher on the roster? MORE: Dream deadline scenario for Detroit Tigers involving Castellanos, Boyd, Greene tradesRon Gardenhire tinkers with his lineup nearly every day. Starting rotationBoyd has become the unquestioned ace of the starting rotation over the last two years, and this season he's leading baseball in strikeout-to-walk ratio. If this ends up being the Tigers' starting rotation, it could be one of the worst in baseball history. The bottom line is: If Boyd gets traded, Turnbull is the only chance the Tigers have to feel good about every fifth game.

Nicholas Castellanos #9 of the Detroit Tigers swings on his solo home run to defeat the Toronto Blue Jays 4-3 in the 10th inning at Comerica Park on July 21, 2019. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images)DETROIT - Nicholas Castellanos led off the bottom of the 10th inning with a home run, and the Detroit Tigers snapped their six-game losing streak with a 4-3 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday. The Tigers won for only the eighth time in their last 41 games - and this victory didn't come easily. Jeimer Candelario put Detroit up 2-1 with an RBI groundout in the third, and Jones hit his 10th homer of the year in the fifth. Tigers: Detroit has Monday off before two home games against Philadelphia.