The Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Guardians are locked in a gripping AL Wild Card series, with everything on the line tonight in Game 3. After the Tigers stole the opener on Tuesday with a 2-1 nail-biter behind Tarik Skubal's masterful 14-strikeout gem, the Guardians roared back yesterday, exploding for five runs in the eighth to claim a 6-3 victory and force this decisive matchup. Indeed, the series has captured that raw intensity of playoff baseball, where every pitch seems to carry the weight of a division's dramatic late-season twists.
Game 3 kicks off at 7:08 p.m. ET from Progressive Field in Cleveland, pitting Tigers right-hander Reese Olson against Guardians ace Tanner Bibee. Detroit's schedule has been a rollercoaster this year, but their improbable surge into the playoffs—fueled by Skubal's Cy Young-caliber arm—has fans dreaming big. Cleveland, meanwhile, clawed back from a brutal September slump to snag the top wild card spot, though their offense has looked frustratingly inconsistent against Detroit's stingy pitching. Prediction-wise, expect a low-scoring affair; the Tigers' bullpen edge might just tip it 3-2 in their favor, but Bibee's home dominance adds real uncertainty.
For those tuning in via radio, the broadcast is widely available—Guardians fans can catch it on Newsradio WTAM 1100, while Tigers supporters have 97.1 The Ticket. Streaming options abound too, through MLB's app or SiriusXM channels 83 and 84 for out-of-market listeners. However, the real story here is the rivalry's edge; these AL Central foes have traded barbs all season, from Cleveland's historic comeback to Detroit's resilient underdog vibe.
Moreover, injuries linger as a shadow—Detroit's Kerry Carpenter nursing a hamstring issue, Cleveland monitoring José Ramírez's workload. Yet, in this winner-take-all clash, talent and grit will collide under the lights. One can't help but wonder if this game will redefine these teams' trajectories heading into the division series.