CLEVELAND (Interstat) — In a stunning reversal of fortune that has defined the American League Central race, the Cleveland Guardians completed their improbable climb from the depths of the division, defeating the Detroit Tigers 5-2 on Tuesday night at Progressive Field to forge a tie for first place.

The victory, sealed before a crowd of 29,571, marks the culmination of a historic comeback. As recently as July 8, the Guardians languished 15 1/2 games behind the Tigers. Even on Aug. 25, the deficit stood at a seemingly insurmountable 12 1/2 games. But Cleveland has been nearly flawless since, winning 11 of its last 12 games and improving to 17-5 in September. Conversely, the Tigers have collapsed, losing seven straight and 10 of 11 to see their once-massive lead evaporate entirely.

Both teams now stand with identical 85-72 records with five games remaining in the regular season, setting the stage for a dramatic conclusion to the division race.

The game turned on a bizarre and decisive sixth inning that saw the Guardians erase a 2-1 deficit against Detroit ace Tarik Skubal. The Tigers had scratched across a run in the third inning on an RBI double by Wenceel Pérez and added another in the sixth on a solo home run by Riley Greene, his 35th of the season, to take a 2-0 lead.

Skubal, who had been dominant early, ran into immediate trouble in the bottom of the sixth. Steven Kwan led off with a bunt single, and Angel Martínez followed with a sacrifice bunt. Skubal fielded the ball but committed a throwing error, allowing Kwan to race to third and Martínez to second. The next batter, José Ramírez, hit a swinging bunt that died on the infield grass, scoring Kwan and cutting the lead to 2-1.

After a strikeout, Gabriel Arias hit a grounder to first baseman Spencer Torkelson, who stepped on the bag for the out as Ramírez alertly never broke stride from second base, scoring the go-ahead run on the unconventional fielder’s choice. The Guardians took a 3-2 lead without hitting a ball out of the infield in the inning.

Cleveland added crucial insurance runs in the seventh. With two outs and a runner on first, Kwan laced a double to left field. Daniel Schneemann followed with a sharp single to left, plating both runners to extend the Guardians’ advantage to 5-2.

The pitching matchup featured a duel between two of the division’s top arms, but only one emerged with a victory. Cleveland starter Gavin Williams (12-5) earned the win, striking out a career-high 12 batters over six strong innings. He allowed two runs on four hits, working out of a bases-loaded jam in the fourth inning to keep the Tigers at bay.

Skubal (13-6), one of the front-runners for the AL Cy Young Award, was charged with the hard-luck loss. He pitched six innings, allowing three runs, but only one was earned due to his own error. He surrendered four hits and struck out eight. The Detroit bullpen, specifically Kyle Finnegan, allowed the two seventh-inning runs to put the game out of reach.

The Guardians’ bullpen was flawless, retiring nine of the final ten Tigers batters. Erik Sabrowski and Hunter Gaddis handled the seventh and eighth innings, respectively, before Cade Smith worked a perfect ninth to record his 16th save of the season. Cleveland relievers combined for five strikeouts over three hitless innings.

The Tigers managed only five hits total, with Greene’s home run accounting for their only extra-base hit. The Guardians collected seven hits, with Kwan and Schneemann providing the key blows in the seventh.

The loss extends a disastrous trend for Detroit, which has not won since Sept. 14. The teams will continue their critical four-game series Wednesday and Thursday in Cleveland, with the division title hanging in the balance. According to pregame projections, Interstat’s game simulator had predicted a 7-1 Cleveland victory, while its ELO system gave the Guardians a 54.3 percent chance to win, despite Detroit being installed as a 1.5-run favorite on the betting spread.

The game was played in 2 hours and 30 minutes. Following the series finale in Cleveland, the Tigers will travel to face the Boston Red Sox, while the Guardians will host the Texas Rangers to conclude the regular season.