KANSAS CITY -- The Tigers refuse to quit.

With playoff odds at just 12.7%, per FanGraphs, Detroit hasn’t wavered. In fact, the young Tigers have only gotten better.

That was on full display again against the Royals, with the Tigers rallying from an early four-run deficit to win the opener, 7-6, at Kauffman Stadium. With the win and Minnesota’s loss to Cleveland, the Tigers are now just 1 1/2 games behind the Twins, who hold the tiebreaker, for the third and final AL Wild Card spot.

And it’s been a long road to this point -- not only Monday’s comeback but the entire Tigers late-season turnaround. The latest win, Detroit’s 23rd since Aug. 11 -- the most in the Major Leagues in that span -- was fueled by a young core going through its first postseason push.

Down 5-2 in the fifth after Bobby Witt Jr. hit a grand slam off Reese Olson in the third, Colt Keith clobbered a two-run homer. Then in the sixth, Wenceel Pérez came through with the game-tying knock -- a two-run double down the left-field line -- to tie it at 6 before Matt Vierling gave them the lead with an RBI single. The Tigers erupted for 14 hits.