Editing Detroit Tigers (section)

====1987 AL East Champions====
{{Main|1987 Detroit Tigers season}}
After a pair of third-place finishes in 1985 and 1986,<ref>{{cite web|title=1985 American League Season Summary|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL/1985.shtml|website=Baseball-Reference.com|access-date=October 5, 2018|archive-date=October 10, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231010094120/https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL/1985.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=1986 American League Season Summary|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL/1986.shtml|website=Baseball-Reference.com|access-date=October 5, 2018|archive-date=October 5, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181005235919/https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL/1986.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref> the 1987 Tigers faced lowered expectations&nbsp;– which seemed to be confirmed by an 11–19 start to the season.<ref name=Duke>{{cite web|first=Mike|last=Duke|title=30 years ago—the 1987 Detroit Tigers|url=http://www.thedailyreporter.com/news/20170913/30-years-ago-the-1987-detroit-tigers|website=The Daily Reporter|date=September 13, 2017|access-date=October 5, 2018|archive-date=October 6, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181006000522/http://www.thedailyreporter.com/news/20170913/30-years-ago-the-1987-detroit-tigers|url-status=dead}}</ref> However, the team hit its stride thereafter and gradually gained ground on its AL East rivals.<ref name=Duke/> This charge was fueled in part by the acquisition of pitcher [[Doyle Alexander]] from the [[Atlanta Braves]] in exchange for minor league pitcher [[John Smoltz]]. Alexander started 11 games for the Tigers, posting a 9–0 record and a 1.53 ERA. Smoltz, a Michigan native, went on to have a long and productive career, mostly with the Braves, and was ultimately inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015.<ref name=Duke/><ref>{{cite web|first=Ryan|last=Turnquist|title=Tigers trade John Smoltz to Braves|url=https://baseballhall.org/discover-more/stories/inside-pitch/tigers-trade-john-smoltz-to-braves|website=Baseball Hall of Fame|access-date=October 5, 2018|archive-date=October 6, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181006000524/https://baseballhall.org/discover-more/stories/inside-pitch/tigers-trade-john-smoltz-to-braves|url-status=live}}</ref> Despite the Tigers' great season, they entered September neck-and-neck with the [[1987 Toronto Blue Jays season|Toronto Blue Jays]]. The two teams would square off in seven hard-fought games during the final two weeks of the season. All seven games were decided by one run, and in the first six of the seven games, the winning run was scored in the final inning of play. At [[Exhibition Stadium]], the Tigers [[List of baseball jargon (D)#drop|dropped]] three in a row to the Blue Jays before winning a dramatic extra-inning showdown.<ref name=Duke/>

The Tigers entered the final week of the 1987 season 2.5 games behind.<ref name=Duke/> After a series against the [[1987 Baltimore Orioles season|Baltimore Orioles]], the Tigers returned home trailing by a game and swept the Blue Jays.<ref name=Duke/> Detroit clinched the division in a 1–0 victory over Toronto in front of 51,000 fans at Tiger Stadium on October 4. [[Frank Tanana]] went all nine innings for the complete-game shutout, and outfielder Larry Herndon gave the Tigers their lone run on a second-inning home run. Detroit finished the season two games ahead of Toronto, securing the best record in the majors (98–64).<ref name=Duke/><ref name="1987 standings">{{cite web|title=1987 Major League Baseball Standings & Expanded Standings|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/MLB/1987-standings.shtml|website=Baseball-Reference.com|access-date=October 5, 2018|archive-date=October 6, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181006000803/https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/MLB/1987-standings.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref>

In what would prove to be their last postseason appearance until 2006, the Tigers were upset in the [[1987 American League Championship Series]] by the 85–77 [[1987 Minnesota Twins season|Minnesota Twins]] (who in turn won the World Series that year) 4–1.<ref name=Duke/><ref name="1987 standings"/><ref>{{cite web|title=1987 World Series|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/history/postseason/mlb_ws_recaps.jsp?feature=1987|website=MLB.com|access-date=October 5, 2018|archive-date=August 3, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210803122717/http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/history/postseason/mlb_ws_recaps.jsp?feature=1987|url-status=live}}</ref> The Twins clinched the series in Game 5 at Tiger Stadium, 9–5.<ref>{{cite web|title=1987 American League Championship Series (ALCS) Game 5, Minnesota Twins at Detroit Tigers, October 12, 1987|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/DET/DET198710120.shtml|website=Baseball-Reference.com|access-date=October 5, 2018|archive-date=July 9, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180709185946/https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/DET/DET198710120.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref>