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The Tigers are in the playoffs. Where will they play now?

DETROIT – Shortly after concluding the regular season Sunday afternoon against the Chicago White Sox, the Detroit Tigers will board a plane for their first-round playoff series.

They just don’t know where they’re going to go.

The Tigers’ victory over the White Sox on Friday night secured their first playoff berth in 10 years and secured their spot in October. But they are still waiting to meet their next opponent.

AL PLAYOFF PICTURE

team Victories losses status seeds
NY Yankees 93 67 AL East champion 1 or 2
Cleveland 92 68 AL Central champion 1 or 2
Houston 87 73 AL West champion 3
Baltimore 88 71 Wildcard #1 4
TIGER 86 74 Wildcard number 2 or 3 5 or 6
Kansas City 85 75 Wildcard number 2 or 3 5 or 6

If the season ended today, the Tigers (86-74) would play the Orioles in the best-of-three wild-card series in Baltimore, while the Royals (85-75) would travel to Houston to play to face the AL West champion Astros. However, if the Royals tied or overtook the Tigers in the final two games, the destinations would change: the Tigers would go to Houston and the Royals would go to Baltimore.

It’s unclear whether the Tigers would prefer to face the Astros or the Orioles – either would be possible – and Tigers manager AJ Hinch said he doesn’t plan to worry about that in the final two games.

“We will try to win. It will impact where we go, and we won’t get caught up in “if” questions about what happens if we do this or that. I know if we keep winning we will be hard to beat,” said Hinch. “Even during the celebration, every pitcher who threw beer on me was told that he might pitch tomorrow. You never know, so be prepared. We’re going to make sure we don’t lose that advantage that we’ve been playing with.”

The winners of the Wild Card Series advance to the best-of-five Division Series, where they face the winners of the league’s top division.

If the season ended today, the winner of Kansas City/Houston would play the Guardians, while the winner of Detroit/Baltimore would play the Yankees.

The first two games of the Division Series would be played at the home stadium of the winners of the highest divisions (New York and Cleveland).

If the Tigers advanced, the series wouldn’t come to Detroit until Game 3 on October 9, ten days after the final game of the regular season.

By Jasper

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