<P> At the midway point of the 2012 season, the Tigers were three games under . 500 (39 - 42). The team played much better in the second half and, after a fierce battle down the stretch with the Chicago White Sox, the Tigers clinched the AL Central Division title on October 1 with a 6 - 3 win against the Kansas City Royals . Coupled with the Tigers' division title in 2011, it marked the first back - to - back divisional titles in team history, and first back - to - back postseason appearances since 1934--35 . The Tigers concluded the 2012 regular season with an 88 - 74 record . </P> <P> On the final day of the season, Miguel Cabrera earned the American League Triple Crown in batting, leading the league in three key statistical categories during the season: batting average (. 330), home runs (44), and runs batted in (139). No player had accomplished this feat since Carl Yastrzemski in 1967 . On the mound, starters Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer finished first and second among the American League strikeout leaders, with 239 and 231, respectively . Verlander (17--8, 2.64 ERA) finished second in the Cy Young Award balloting to David Price of the Tampa Bay Rays . </P> <P> In the American League Division Series, the Tigers defeated the Oakland Athletics, 3 games to 2, earning their second straight trip to the American League Championship Series . The Tigers completed a four - game sweep of the New York Yankees in the ALCS to win their 11th American League Pennant and earn a trip to the World Series . The Tigers lost the 2012 World Series to the San Francisco Giants, four games to none . They were shut out twice (in Games 2 and 3), the same number as in the entire 162 - game regular season, and had a team batting average of . 159 . </P> <P> On November 15, 2012, Miguel Cabrera was named the AL's Most Valuable Player . </P>

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