FLYING HIGH
Separated by 250 miles of canadian farmland and two games in the American League East standings, the Toronto Blue Jays and the Detroit Tigers joined battle at
vault.si.comthat year Detroit Tigers won the AL East on the strength of a late-season surge, clinching the division at the end of the series vs Toronto, with Toronto wasting a late advantage, and were swept in Detroit, locking in their collapse that allowed the Tigers to reach the playoffs. Detroit benefited from timely clutch moments, late-inning scoring sequences, and bullpen contributions, with Toronto fading down the stretch. This era marked one of the notable pennant-race collapses in the division, with Detroit ultimately prevailing.