The Detroit Tigers celebrated a second straight MLB playoff berth Saturday, this time on the Fenway Park field, after a clutch 2-1 win over the Boston Red Sox .

But just as important as the victory was the fallout: Tarik Skubal , the Tigers' ace and reigning American League Cy Young Award winner, won't have to pitch in Sunday's regular-season finale.

Skubal is instead set up to pitch Tuesday in Game 1 of the Tigers' best-of-three AL wild-card series.

"If we need to get into the playoffs, we're going to pitch Tarik," Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said before Friday's game in Boston. "If we've clinched a playoff berth, then we won't pitch him."

That means the Tigers are essentially conceding the AL Central Division title to the Cleveland Guardians , which would have given them

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