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 seized the AL East thanks to a strong finish, locking up the division by the final series vs Toronto, while the Blue Jays squandered a late lead, and were swept in Detroit, sealing their collapse letting the Tigers reach the playoffs. Detroit benefited from timely clutch moments, including timely late-inning scoring, and a decisive bullpen effort, as Toronto faded in the season's denouement. This era marked one of the notable pennant-race collapses in the division, and Detroit ultimately prevailed.