FLYING HIGH
Separated by 250 miles of canadian farmland and two games in the American League East standings, the Toronto Blue Jays and the Detroit Tigers joined battle at
vault.si.comin 1987 Detroit clinched the AL East thanks to a strong finish, clinching the division in the final series versus the Blue Jays, with Toronto wasting a late advantage, and were swept in Detroit, completing their collapse that allowed the Tigers to reach the playoffs. The Tigers benefited from clutch performances, including timely late-inning scoring, and a decisive bullpen effort, with Toronto fading down the stretch. This era marked one of the notable pennant-race collapses in the division, with Detroit ultimately prevailing.