Should Detroit Tigers be concerned about non-Tarik Skubal starters?
On “Days of Roar,” Nick Pollack, founder of “Pitcher List,” evaluates the Detroit Tigers’ starting rotation — aside from left-hander Tarik Skubal.
The Detroit Tigers are about to play their most crucial regular-season series in years.
The American League Central-leading Tigers (85-71) are off to Cleveland to play the second-place Guardians (84-72) in a three-game series from Tuesday-Thursday, with a division title and a playoff berth at stake for both teams this week.
The Tigers’ current 1-11 stretch, which includes three losses to the Guardians at home last week, has coincided with the Guardians winning 15 of their past 17 games.
Here’s what we stand: The Tigers’ division lead from 9½ games on Sept. 10 is one game entering this series.
Tigers AL Central playoff scenarios vs Guardians
The mission is simple for the Tigers: Like Adrian said in the classic Rocky scene … win. Win!
A three-game sweep by the Tigers of the Guardians from Tuesday-Thursday would clinch the Tigers’ first division title since 2014.The Tigers winning two of three games would give them a two-game lead over the Guardians with each team having three games left to play, so the Tigers’ magic number would be two. Cleveland would have the tiebreaker with a 7-6 head-to-head season series advantage.The Tigers losing two of three to the Guardians would create a tie in the division entering each team’s final series of the regular season. The Guardians would have the tiebreaker, so the Tigers would need the Guardians to lose a game to the Texas Rangers.A Guardians sweep of the Tigers would give Cleveland a two-game divisional lead with three games to play, plus the tiebreaker, putting Cleveland’s magic number at one (one Tigers loss or Cleveland win) to complete the AL Central comeback. This would put the Tigers’ playoff chances in peril. They currently own a one-game lead over the Houston Astros, which is the first team out of the AL playoffs entering the final week. The Tigers own the tiebreaker on Houston.Tigers vs Guardians prediction, pick for series
Here is Free Press sports writer Christian Romo‘s pick for each game of the Tigers-Guardians series.
Tuesday: Gavin Williams has been Cleveland’s best pitcher, with a 3.06 ERA over 30 starts in 2025, but the Tigers will win a low-scoring game with ace Tarik Skubal pitching eight strong innings. The pick: Tigers 2, Guardians 1. Wednesday: September has been Jack Flaherty’s best month by ERA (3.14) so far this season. The Tigers should pounce on the Guardians’ young starter Tanner Bibee, after he shut them down for one run in six innings last Thursday. The pick: Tigers 6, Guardians 2.Thursday: The lefty rookie Parker Messick has been a revelation for the Guardians over the last month. He’ll slow a Tigers lineup that has been especially vulnerable against southpaws. The pick: Guardians 8, Tigers 3.Â
Bottom line: The Tigers leave Cleveland with a two-game lead in the AL Central with three games remaning. The Guardians hold the tiebreaker, so the Tigers’ magic number would stand at two.
The Tigers have a day off Monday, Sept. 22, before starting a three-game series against the Guardians beginning Tuesday.
Tigers vs Guardians start time
All three games of the series are set to start at 6:40 p.m. ET at Progressive Field in Cleveland.
Tigers Guardians TV channel, streaming for series
All three games will air locally on FanDuel Sports Network Detroit.
First pitch: 6:40 p.m. ET.TV channel: FSND.Streaming: FanDuel TV+, Fubo.Radio: WXYT-FM, 97.1 in Detroit.
Additionally, all three games can be streamed on the FanDuel Sports app and Fubo, which carries FSND and offers a free trial to potential subscribers.
Watch Tigers vs Guardians on Fubo
Tigers vs Guardians pitching matchup
Skubal is tasked with starting the first start of the series, going up against Williams.
Tuesday: Tigers LHP Tarik Skubal vs Guardians RHP Gavin Williams.
Wednesday: Tigers RHP Jack Flaherty vs Guardians RHP Tanner Bibee.
Thursday: Tigers TBD vs Guardians LHP Parker Messick.
You can reach Christian at cromo@freepress.com.
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