In a gritty turnaround that no one saw coming after their late-season stumble, the Detroit Tigers clawed their way past the Cleveland Guardians with a 6-3 win in Game 3 of the Wild Card series on Thursday night. It was Dillon Dingler's homer in the sixth that sparked things, followed by a four-run seventh that buried Cleveland for good. Now, the Tigers, that resilient No. 6 seed, head west to tangle with the Seattle Mariners in the American League Division Series starting this weekend.
The series kicks off at T-Mobile Park, where the Mariners hold home-field edge as the No. 2 seed. Game 1 is set for Saturday, October 4, though the exact start time hinges on the other bracket—either 1:08 p.m. PT if the Red Sox pull off an upset, or 5:38 p.m. if the Yankees advance. Indeed, MLB's juggling act with overlapping series means fans might wait a bit for confirmation. Then comes Game 2 on Sunday, October 5, locked in at 5:03 p.m. PT, no ifs about it.
If it goes longer, the action shifts to Comerica Park for potential Games 3 and 4 on Tuesday and Wednesday, October 7 and 8, with times still to be nailed down. A decisive Game 5, should it be needed, would wrap up on Friday, October 10. The Tigers' Tarik Skubal, that strikeout machine from Game 1, looms large for Detroit, while Seattle's pitching depth—think Bryan Woo's possible return—could test them hard. However, after Detroit's wild-card drama, one wonders if this momentum carries or fizzles against a Mariners squad that's been waiting.
Moreover, the travel grind from Cleveland to Seattle hits the Tigers quick, but their bullpen held firm last round. Seattle, fresh off a bye, might have the rest advantage, yet Detroit's bats heated up when it counted. It's a matchup of underdogs versus steadiness, and as the first pitch approaches, the AL bracket hangs in the balance.
What this series really tests is whether playoff chaos favors the bold or the prepared.