Detroit Tigers Are A Sure-Thing Surprise To Go Over Wins Total

Can you please rewrite the sentence?

From an objective standpoint, the 2021 MLB season can be deemed a pleasantly surprising triumph for the Detroit Tigers, given their impressive number of wins and overall progress.

Despite there still being a significant portion of the season left, the Tigers have exceeded expectations so far this year.

Despite being initially predicted as one of the worst teams in baseball, Detroit unexpectedly finds itself in the postseason contention, albeit with slim chances, as September approaches.

Detroit Tigers wins total: Over virtually secured

In late August, those involved in the Michigan sports betting scene who showed faith in Detroit must be experiencing a great sense of satisfaction.

In October of last year, the season’s projection for Detroit was a mere 63 wins. As the Tigers prepared for their Wednesday afternoon match against the St. Louis Cardinals, their record stood at 61-66.

After securing a 4-3 triumph against St. Louis on Tuesday, the Tigers have recorded a 52-42 record since May 8. Additionally, they have achieved a 21-15 record since the All-Star Break.

The Tigers are highly likely to achieve 64 wins unless they have an extremely disastrous finish, considering they still have 35 games left to play on their schedule.

Playoff longshots, but future glimmers of hope

Despite being considered a significant longshot for the postseason, the Tigers have defied expectations by putting themselves in the playoff picture towards the end of August. This is particularly surprising considering their poor start to the season, with a record of 9-24.

In the American League Central, Detroit finds themselves trailing the Chicago White Sox (73-54) by a margin of 12 games as of Wednesday. However, they are only two games away from catching up to the Cleveland Indians (61-62) and claiming the second spot in the division.

Detroit is currently trailing the Boston Red Sox (72-55) by 11 games in the Wild Card race. Consequently, ESPN’s MLB playoff calculator predicts that the Tigers have an extremely slim chance of making it to the playoffs.

Those who took a chance on their +1300 odds of making the playoffs before the season can now have some reassurance that their decision wasn’t entirely based on luck.

Elusive .500 mark within reach

Despite having some promising periods during the summer, the Tigers have been unable to attain a win-loss record of .500 since April 14 (6-6).

On August 12, Detroit came close to reaching a .500 record after sweeping a series in Baltimore, bringing their overall record to 57-60. Unfortunately, their momentum did not last long, as they went on to lose five out of their next six games.

The Tigers have secured three wins out of their last four games following their victory on Tuesday, aiming to regain momentum.

The upcoming Wednesday game against the Cardinals is scheduled for the afternoon, and surprisingly, our team has won all three matches against them so far this season.

Tarik Skubal, with a record of 8-11 and an ERA of 4.02, will take the mound for Detroit as they face off against Jon Lester of the Cardinals, who holds a record of 4-6 and an ERA of 5.46.

The morning favorite for this game, according to the oddsmakers at Caesars Sportsbook, was the Cardinals with a -125. On the other hand, the road team, Detroit, was listed with odds of +115. Please find the live odds below.

After Wednesday’s match, Detroit will come back to their home ground for a consecutive seven games, playing against the Toronto Blue Jays, Minnesota Twins, and Oakland Athletics.

Miguel Cabrera gets to 500 home runs

In recent weeks, the nation’s attention turned towards Detroit as Miguel Cabrera embarked on his journey to achieve 500 career home runs, placing the city in the spotlight.

Following his 499th hit on August 11th, Cabrera experienced a decline in power, as he struggled to achieve the significant milestone number throughout a lengthy period of home games.

Cabrera’s 500th achievement was reached in Toronto on Sunday, after a span of 11 days.

Cabrera has become the 28th player in MLB history to hit 500 home runs, achieving this milestone as a member of the Detroit Tigers, making him the first in the team’s history.

In their careers, only Eddie Mathews and Gary Sheffield, both former Tigers players, managed to achieve the remarkable feat of hitting 500 home runs.

Cabrera wasted no time reaching 501, as he smashed a solo home run during Tuesday’s victory against the Cardinals.

With a total of 363 home runs, he currently ranks third in franchise history as a Tiger, trailing behind Norm Cash (373) and Al Kaline (399).

Cabrera is rapidly approaching the milestone of 3,000 hits in his career. Achieving this feat would place him among an elite group of only six players who have managed to accumulate both 3,000 hits and 500 home runs. This prestigious club currently includes legendary names such as Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Rafael Palmeiro, Albert Pujols, Alex Rodriguez, and Eddie Murray.

At present, Cabrera’s career hits tally stands at 2,957. For the ongoing season, he has accumulated 91 hits. ESPN forecasts his hits to reach 116 in 2021, resulting in a total of 2,982 hits for his career.

Akil Baddoo: rookie of the year?

Despite the possibility of AJ Hinch receiving a few votes for AL Manager of the Year, the Tigers still have a strong contender for an award.

Akil Baddoo emerges as a prominent candidate in the AL Rookie of the Year competition.

As per BetMGM Sportsbook, Baddoo has odds of +1700 for winning the honor, while Randy Arozarena of the Tampa Bay Rays is currently the frontrunner with odds of -150.

Earlier this season, the odds at other sportsbooks reached a staggering +4000.

As of Wednesday, the 23-year-old has participated in 94 games this season and holds a batting average of .262. Additionally, they have recorded 10 home runs, 45 RBI, and 18 doubles. Furthermore, they have successfully stolen 14 bases and possess a Wins Above Replacement (WAR) of 1.4.

After being absent for almost two weeks due to a collision with Derek Hill during a 9-4 victory against Baltimore on August 10, the centerfielder for Detroit made his return on Tuesday.

After the collision, Baddoo was placed on the injured list as part of the concussion protocol. His return on Tuesday resulted in a score of 0-for-5.

Could you please rewrite the sentence or provide more context for me to work with?