Tigers: The Tigers, the hottest team in baseball the last several weeks, earned an American League wild card berth Friday night to end a decade-long postseason drought. “This team is pretty dangerous,” Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris said. “We got a chance to make some noise in October, and we’re going to keep fighting for for the opportunity.” The Tigers clinched a spot in the playoffs with a 4-1 win over the White Sox, who set a modern major league record with their 121st loss. The Tigers will play at top AL wild card Baltimore or AL West champion Houston in a best-of-three series starting Tuesday. They have been on a tear, winning six straight and 10 of 11 to surge into the playoffs for the first time since 2014. The Tigers were 55-63 on Aug. 10 — 10 games out of the last wild card — and then went 31-11. During that stretch, the Tigers have the lowest ERA in baseball and the largest run differential. “It’s been a dream come true,” first baseman Spencer Torkelson said.

Pirates: The Pirates’ Paul Skenes ended an impressive rookie season by retiring six hitters in order, including strikeouts of Yankee stars Juan Soto and Aaron Judge on Saturday in his Yankee Stadium debut. A top contender for NL Rookie of the Year, the 22-year-old right-hander finished 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA in 23 starts and 133 innings — 29 innings shy of qualifying for the National League ERA title. He struck out 170 and walked 32. Skenes’ ERA is the second-lowest for a rookie with at least 20 starts since ERA became an official statistic in both leagues in 1913, above only Reb Russell’s 1.90 for the White Sox in 1913. Skenes threw four pitches over 100 mph, finishing with exactly 100 pitches of 100 mph or higher this season. Angels right-hander José Soriano is second among starting pitchers with 40. With girlfriend and LSU gymnast Livvy Dunne in the stands, Skenes threw a 99.8 mph fastball on the high, outside corner that Soto took for a called third strike. Judge struck out swinging at a sweeper that was outside. “He’s been one of the big stories in major league baseball this year, first pick, doesn’t break camp and ends up starting in the All-Star game,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said before the game. “He’s obviously had a phenomenal year. I think our guys are looking forward to facing obviously a player that’s really, really kind of taken the league by storm and emerged as one of the game’s outstanding starters.”

Brewers: The Brewers are preparing for the likelihood they will open the postseason without outfielder Sal Frelick after he injured his hip crashing into the right-field wall Friday against the Mets. Although Frelick said an MRI revealed no ligament damage, he was walking with help from a crutch Saturday as he spoke to reporters.

Dodgers: The Dodgers clinched home-field advantage throughout the postseason on Saturday when the Phillies lost 6-3 to the Nationals, who got a three-run homer from Joey Gallo in a four-run eighth-inning.The Dodgers and Phillies open the Division Series on Oct. 5 against teams that emerge from next week’s Wild Card Series.