A five-run fourth inning and a strong performance from Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander helped them to a 7-1 win over the Chicago White Sox.
Meanwhile, the American League's Central division-leading Royals fell to a 6-1 loss to the Cleveland Indians.
Carlos Santana hit a two-run homer for the Indians, who are also in division contention, 4.5 games behind Kansas City.
The Los Angeles Angels' fourth straight win took them three games clear in the AL's West standings, the Angels shutting out divisional rivals the Oakland Athletics 4-0.
Adding injury to insult for the A's was the loss of centre fielder Coco Crisp to a neck injury, although despite their gap in the divisional race, Oakland are well clear in the wildcard standings.
The Seattle Mariners are one game behind the wildcard spots, after succumbing to an 8-3 loss to the Washington Nationals.
Almost the first side mathematically out of post-season contention, the Texas Rangers postponed their official elimination with a 13-6 thrashing of the Houston Astros.
The New York Yankees downed the Toronto Blue Jays 6-3, to sit within seven games of the AL East-leading Baltimore Orioles.
Baltimore made it two wins in a row with a 9-1 thrashing of the Minnesota Twins.
The Boston Red Sox inflicted an 8-4 defeat on the Tampa Bay Rays.
Washington are six games clear of the Atlanta Braves, who made it three wins on the spin with a 5-2 victory over the Miami Marlins.
The Marlins are 11 games behind the Nats in the National League's East division race.
The New York Mets had a 4-1 win over division cellar-dwellers the Philadelphia Phillies.
In the NL's Central division race, the Milwaukee Brewers' hold on top spot is lucky to be intact after three straight losses.
The Brewers were thrashed 13-2 by the San Francisco Giants, however the St Louis Cardinals also dropped their third in succession as the Chicago Cubs trumped them 7-2.
St Louis are 1.5 games off the pace, while the Pittsburgh Pirates are back in the picture - only three games behind the lead after a hat-trick of wins, the latest a 2-1 result over the Cincinnati Reds.
In a 12-inning thriller, the San Diego Padres downed the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2 - the latter's lead atop the NL West cut to 3.5 games.
The Arizona Diamondbacks inflicted a fourth straight loss on the Colorado Rockies, downing their rivals 5-2.