The Detroit Tigers wrapped up their wild-card series against the Cleveland Guardians with a gritty 6-3 victory in Game 3 on Thursday night, sending the Guardians packing and advancing to face the Seattle Mariners in the AL Division Series. It was a tense affair at Progressive Field, where the Tigers exploded for key runs in the late innings, capitalizing on Cleveland's pitching woes. Tarik Skubal's earlier dominance in Game 1 set the tone, but this decider belonged to Detroit's resilient lineup, which scratched out just enough offense to overcome a solid effort from Guardians starter Gavin Williams.
Indeed, the series had all the drama one could expect from these AL Central rivals. Detroit took the opener 2-1 behind Skubal's 14 strikeouts, only for Cleveland to roar back in Game 2 with a 6-1 thrashing, powered by late homers from Brayan Rocchio and Bo Naylor. Predictions heading into the matchup leaned slightly toward the Guardians' home-field edge and deeper bullpen, but the Tigers' momentum from their improbable September surge proved too much. Will Vest, the Guardians' young reliever, struggled in the eighth, allowing three runs that sealed Detroit's fate—or rather, Cleveland's elimination. Vest's command issues highlighted a broader fatigue in the pen after a grueling regular season.
For fans glued to their screens, Game 3 aired on ESPN, with streaming options on the ESPN app and MLB.tv for out-of-market viewers. Radio coverage kept the energy high too—Cleveland's WTAM 1100 carried the Guardians' broadcast, while SiriusXM offered national feeds on channels 83 and 84, capturing every pitch and roar from the crowd. Moreover, those tuning in via the Tigers' flagship 97.1 The Ticket got Jim Price's veteran insights, making it feel like a hometown win even from afar.
However, the Guardians' faithful are left pondering what might have been, especially after that historic late-season comeback against these same Tigers. The old Cleveland Indians moniker still lingers in some conversations, a reminder of the franchise's storied past now overshadowed by this playoff heartbreak.
As the Tigers gear up for Seattle, one can't help but wonder if Detroit's underdog fire will carry them deeper into October.