At certain, fleeting points this season, the Tigers and Dodgers have ruled the AL and NL with league-best records. For a time, they seemed like the two likeliest World Series opponents in what could've been a David vs. Goliath matchup for the ages.
It could still happen, but both teams have seen their once seemingly insurmountable division leads shrink down with about a quarter of the season still left to play — in the Dodgers' case, they saw it disappear entirely on Tuesday. The Tigers are still managing to hold the Guardians at arm's length.
On Tuesday, the Dodgers lost to the Angels by just a run in a game that included a Dodgers' bullpen breakdown; a spoiled tie-game, bases-loaded situation; and the Angels' eighth triple play in franchise history thanks to a liner from none other than Shohei Ohtani.