Tigers Clinch A.L. Central - East Idaho News
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Tigers Clinch A.L. Central

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Getty S 10212 Tigers?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1349163414415Ed Zurga/Getty Images(KANSAS CITY) — It wasn’t always a smooth road, but the Detroit Tigers accomplished what they set out to do at the beginning of the season.

Miguel Cabrera led the way with four hits and the Detroit Tigers beat the Kansas City Royals 6-3 on Monday night to clinch the A.L. Central. 

The Tigers won their division for the second straight season, although last year they finished with a 15 game edge in the standings. 

The Tigers (87-73) have had to come from behind all season, digging out of a rough July to get past the Chicago White Sox in the final month of the season to grab a playoff berth.

“It was a rocky road, it was a tough season, but in this business, you have to be able to take some hits,” Leyland said. “This isn’t a place for the faint-hearted. Hell, we took a lot of punches, a lot of them justified, some of them maybe not. But hey, we can take a punch.”

Cabrera, who is chasing a Triple Crown, hit his league-leading 44th homerun in the sixth. He moved one ahead of Texas Rangers slugger Josh Hamilton in that category.

On the mound, Rick Porcello picked up his 10th win of the year by allowing only one run in five innings. 

The Tigers have won seven of eight games, while the Royals (71-89) have lost eight of their last nine. 

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

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