CLEVELAND (Interstat) — In a stunning reversal of fortune that has rewritten the modern baseball record book, the Cleveland Guardians seized control of the American League Central, completing a historic comeback with a 5-1 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday night at Progressive Field.

With the win before a crowd of 26,293, the Guardians (86-72) moved one game ahead of the Tigers (85-73) with just four games remaining in the regular season. Cleveland’s ascent to first place marks the largest deficit overcome by a team to take a division or league lead since Major League Baseball introduced divisional play in 1969. The Guardians trailed Detroit by 15 1/2 games at one point this season, surpassing the previous benchmark of 14 games set by the 1978 New York Yankees in the AL East. According to Elias Sports Bureau, the 1914 Boston Braves, who were 15 games back in the National League on July 4 and rallied to win the pennant by 10 1/2 games, represent the only comparable comeback in major league history.

The Guardians also secured the critical season-series tiebreaker over Detroit, adding another layer of pressure on the reeling Tigers.

The game itself was a microcosm of Cleveland’s relentless second-half surge, as they immediately answered Detroit’s lone score with a decisive blow and steadily pulled away. The Tigers struck first in the top of the third inning. Dillon Dingler sparked the rally with a line-drive single to right field, and Trey Sweeney followed with a ground-ball single to right, moving Dingler to third. Parker Meadows then drove a sacrifice fly to deep right field, allowing Dingler to trot home and give Detroit a 1-0 lead.

That advantage was short-lived. In the bottom half of the frame, Cleveland’s Brayan Rocchio led off with a double down the left-field line. After a groundout moved him to third, designated hitter George Valera stepped in and launched a towering two-run home run to center field off Tigers starter Jack Flaherty. The blast, Valera’s second of the year, erased Detroit’s lead and energized the home crowd.

Cleveland extended its lead to 3-1 in the fifth inning. Again, Rocchio was the catalyst, lining a sharp single to center. Steven Kwan followed with a line-drive single to left field that easily scored Rocchio, chasing Flaherty from the game.

The Guardians put the game out of reach in the seventh inning, capitalizing on control issues from the Detroit bullpen. Daniel Schneemann worked a walk, and C.J. Kayfus followed with a sharp single to right. After a flyout and a strikeout, the bases were loaded when Brayan Rocchio drew a walk. That brought star third baseman José Ramírez to the plate, and he delivered the knockout punch, lacing a two-run double down the right-field line that deflected off the glove of second baseman Gleyber Torres, scoring two runs to make it 5-1.

The offensive support was more than enough for Cleveland starter Tanner Bibee, who turned in a masterful performance to earn the win. Bibee (12-11) pitched six strong innings, allowing one run on five hits while striking out five and walking two. He effectively navigated traffic, stranding several Tigers runners to preserve the lead. The Guardians’ bullpen was flawless, with Jakob Junis, Cade Smith and Hunter Gaddis combining for three hitless innings of relief to seal the victory.

Jack Flaherty (8-15) was saddled with the loss for Detroit. The right-hander lasted 4 1/3 innings, yielding three runs on five hits. He struck out six but was ultimately undone by the key hits from Valera and Kwan. Tyler Holton provided 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief for the Tigers, but the offense could muster little against Bibee and the Cleveland relievers, finishing with just six hits and going 0 for 4 with runners in scoring position.

The loss continued a disastrous trend for Detroit, which has seen its once-formidable division lead completely evaporate. The Tigers have now lost five of their last six games, all against the Guardians, including the first two contests of this pivotal four-game series. Conversely, Cleveland has won 10 of its last 12 games, a torrid stretch that has defined their remarkable climb to the top of the standings.

The result defied the pregame betting lines, which had installed Detroit as a -1.5 favorite. The combined total of six runs also fell under the over/under line of 7.5. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a more lopsided 7-1 victory for Cleveland, while its ELO system gave the Guardians a 55.2 percent probability to win.

The two teams will meet again Thursday afternoon at Progressive Field for the third game of this four-game set, a contest that now carries immense weight for the Tigers, who must win to keep their hopes of avoiding a total collapse alive. Cleveland, having already made history, will look to solidify its newfound position atop the division.