The Detroit Tigers and the Cleveland Guardians conclude their three-game set at Progressive Field tonight.

It’s been a dramatic reversal of fortune in the AL Central over the past few weeks, with the Guardians now in sole possession of first place after yesterday’s win.

Cleveland has come back from a 15.5-game deficit to seize control in the final week, winning 17 of their last 19 games. Meanwhile, the Tigers have lost eight straight, including the first two of this series and a three-game sweep against Cleveland last week. A ninth consecutive loss would drop Detroit two games back in the division.

The Tigers still hold a one-game lead over the Houston Astros for the third and final AL Wild Card spot, with the head-to-head tiebreaker in their favor. That makes tonight’s game, as well as their upcoming series against the Boston Red Sox, critical for keeping postseason hopes alive.

Tonight’s matchup will be a duel of rookie arms. Troy Melton gets the call for Detroit. He’s 3-2 with a 2.79 ERA, returning to the rotation after spending the past month in the bullpen. Melton has been steady in relief, though he struggled in his lone outing against Cleveland, giving up two runs in 1.2 innings.

The Guardians go with Parker Messick, who is 3-0 with a 2.08 ERA in six starts. Aside from one rocky outing against the Red Sox earlier this month, Messick has been dominant. While he can give up hits, his strikeout ability has stood out — he fanned nine batters in 5.1 innings against the Minnesota Twins last week.

Prediction

This one has the makings of a tight, low-scoring contest decided by the bullpens in the late innings. Given their momentum and recent luck, this game leans Guardians.

Prediction: Guardians 3, Tigers 2

Starting Lineups

Detroit Tigers

1. Jahmai Jones — DH

2. Gleyber Torres — 2B

3. Wenceel Pérez — RF

4. Spencer Torkelson — 1B

5. Riley Greene — LF

6. Andy Ibáñez — 3B

7. Dillon Dingler — C

8. Parker Meadows — CF

9. Javier Baez — SS

Starting Pitcher: Troy Melton (RHP) — 3‑2, 2.79 ERA

Cleveland Guardians

1. Steven Kwan — LF

2. George Valera — DH

3. José Ramírez — 3B

4. Kyle Manzardo — 1B

5. Gabriel Arias — SS

6. Angel Martinez — CF

7. C.J. Kayfus — RF

8. Brayan Rocchio — 2B

9. Austin Hedges — C

Starting Pitcher: Parker Messick (LHP) — 3‑0, 2.08 ERA

How to Watch Tigers vs. Guardians

First pitch for tonight’s game between the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Guardians is set for 6:40 PM Eastern at Progressive Field in Cleveland.

The game airs live locally on FanDuel Sports Network Detroit and Guardians TV. Out-of-market viewers can stream the game on MLB.TV. Today’s broadcast is free.

Detroit Tigers vs. Cleveland Guardians

Date: Thursday, September 25, 2025

First Pitch: 6:40 PM Eastern

Venue: Progressive Field, Cleveland, OH

TV: Guardians TV, FanDuel Sports Detroit

Streaming: MLB.TV (free today)