BOSTON -- Players yelled, “Come on, C.I.!” until Detroit Tigers CEO Chris Ilitch relented and joined the celebration, only to be doused with a massive beer shower by a half-dozen players. Across the room, Tarik Skubal was fiddling with an exit sign that had been knocked off the very low ceiling in the chaos. “It’ll buff out,” Skubal said, grinning.

There was nothing subdued, restrained or muted about this clinching party. The Tigers reveled with as much gusto as they did a year ago, even though the path to the finish line this time was far different. The extremely low ceiling at the visiting clubhouse at Fenway Park will smell like champagne and beer for a very long time.

Skubal was supposed to start on Sunday in a do-or-die game. Instead, he’ll be lined up to pitch Game 1 of the Wild Ca

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