The Detroit Tigers were 10 games up on the second-place Chicago White Sox when play began on Aug. 8. Beginning with a 4-2 loss to Minnesota that day, the Tigers lost five straight to the Twins and White Sox and went into a 10-22 tailspin. Today Detroit is 1.5 games ahead of Minnesota, three games up on Chicago. Do the Tigers have any chance of hanging on for their first playoff berth since 1987? Maybe they should take inspiration from the 2005 Sox. Chicago had ruled the American League Central all season and had a 9.5-game lead over Cleveland when games began on Sept. 8 a year ago, but the lead dwindled to 1.5 games on Sept. 22, after the Indians and Twins had beaten the White Sox on consecutive days. Yet, the Sox managed to win eight of their final 10 games to claim the AL Central crown by six games. The two teams have been quite similar. The 2005 White Sox finished in the middle of the AL pack in scoring runs, and that's where you'll find the 2006 Tigers. Both clubs have won with pitching. The one difference that stands out is the experience of that pitching. The Tigers are relying on some very younger starters. That doesn't seem to make much difference to this point. The Tigers are struggling to score runs during their 10-22 slide while the pitching staff has posted a solid 3.67 ERA in August and September. The staff has a 3.71 mark for the season. What may make a difference is how the young hurlers hold up under the heat of two division rivals beathing down their necks over the final three weeks of the season. They must handle the pressure of Detroit's first September pennant push since the Tigers challenged the Blue Jays for the AL East crown in 1991.