The Detroit Tigers have a pulse. Thursday night the Tigers salvaged their three-game series with the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field ( DET 4, CLE 2 ) and pulled back even atop the AL Central. Both teams have 86-73 records with three games to play, but because Cleveland won the season series -- and therefore holds the tiebreaker -- the Guardians are technically the ones in first place.

Detroit wasted no time jumping on rookie lefty Parker Messick . Leadoff man Jahmai Jones went deep on Messick's sixth pitch of the game, then No. 3 hitter Wenceel Pérez hit a solo homer two batters later. Riley Greene went deep later in the game as well. The Tigers hit three homers off Messick, who surrendered just one longball in his first six MLB starts.

The Tigers received a com

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