Doug Fister.jpg

Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Doug Fister, left, and catcher Alex Avila, right, talk during a game against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on Sunday.

(AP Photo)

Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Doug Fister wipes his head after giving up a run during the fourth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on Sunday.

KANSAS CITY -- Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland tried to warn us. So did Alex Avila. And Torii Hunter, too.

Ask any Tiger, for that matter, about the shape of the AL Central, and you'll most certainly hear an echo.

"You play until the end," Leyland said Sunday. "We've got a fight on our hands and that's the way it's supposed to be."

In other words, this division is far from wrapped up.

The latest heavyweight round left the Tigers bloodied this weekend as they dropped two of three in Kansas City,

-- their fifth defeat in seven games.

It was the 11th win in 15 games for the Royals, who moved within three games of the wild-card race and showed the Tigers that they're not going to disappear without a fight.

"The talent on that team, they should be a lot more over .500," Avila said. "That's a really, really talented team."

The Tigers still own a loose-fitting 5 1/2-game lead over second-place Cleveland, but it's not nearly as comfortable as that 8 1/2-game lead they owned less than a week ago.

And, chances are, that waistband will continue to tighten down the stretch.

"Baseball is a crazy game," Hunter said. "Once you think you're here, it slaps you in the face and brings you back down and you've got to crawl back up there. That's the way it is and we know that."

The Tigers will now travel to Chicago for a three-game set against the last-place Chicago White Sox, who entered Sunday riding a nine-game losing streak.

It might seem like a good opportunity for the Tigers to extend their division lead, but the White Sox will be sending two lefties to the mound, including ace Chris Sale on Monday.

Those matchups could prove challenging for the Tigers, who have struggled against southpaws this year, particularly Sale, who is 2-1 with a 2.66 ERA against Detroit this season.

Still, the Tigers need to handle their business, and based on the records of the final five opponents they'll face down the stretch, they should be able to close the door.

"Some guys are beat up, some guys are fatigued. But you've got to dig deep and fight through it," Hunter said. "Until the day we clinch, it's not over. We've got to keep fighting."

The combined winning percentage of the teams they'll see in the final 19 games sits at .438 (311-398). If they were to finish the season with a 9-10 record, Cleveland would need to go 16-5 to win the division.

That's not to say it's a slam dunk for the Tigers. Of the Indians' 20 remaining games, 14 are against Minnesota, Houston and the White Sox -- all teams with records well below .500. Cleveland's remaining schedule is nearly as weak as Detroit's.

And it's hard to discount the Royals, too, particularly after their pitching just manhandled Detroit this weekend. They're only seven games behind the Tigers and have a strong chance to gain ground with another three-game set against Detroit next weekend.

"If they were the team in second place or first place, it wouldn't surprise me," Avila said.

Right now, they're not. But there's still 19 games to be played. Things can change.

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