DETROIT -- For a minute, the euphoria of another big Kerry Carpenter home run against the Guardians enveloped Comerica Park. His 429-foot drive to center field had brought the Tigers, down to their final out, new life against a team Carpenter loves to haunt.

Three Cleveland batters and three Cleveland runs later, that exhilaration -- like Cade Smith’s 99 mph fastball to Carpenter a half-inning earlier -- was long gone. So, too, were any hopes of the Tigers wrapping up their march to the postseason in this series.

What was hoped to be a coronation series for what would be the Tigers’ first division title since 2014 is looking more and more like a race for the AL Central title . Detroit’s 7-5 loss in 10 innings whittled the gap over Cleveland to 5 1/2 games, the Tigers’ narrowest lead

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