Tigers celebrate with champagne after beating Guardians to make ALDS
The Detroit Tigers celebrate beating the Cleveland Guardians on Thursday, Oct. 2, in Cleveland to advance to the ALDS.
The Detroit Tigers are heading to Washington … state, that is, for an ALDS matchup with the Seattle Mariners in the 2025 MLB playoffs.
The Tigers beat the Cleveland Guardians, 6-3 on Thursday, Oct. 2, at Progressive Field in Cleveland to secure an AL wild-card series win and advance to the ALDS. With the win, the Tigers’ 2025 World Series hopes continue in October.
Now, they face likely an even tougher challenge, going up against the No. 2-seed Seattle Mariners with the best-of-five series playing its first two games in Seattle.
The Tigers ended September as one of the coldest teams in baseball, falling from an 11-game lead in the American League Central on Sept. 4 to a second-place Central finish by the last game of the regular season. But all that gets thrown out the window in the fall, with the Tigers looking to take another step towards October glory.
Here are some things to know about the Tigers’ upcoming ALDS series against the Mariners.
Celebrate 125 years of Detroit Tigers history with our new book!
When does the ALDS start?
The Tigers will face the Mariners on Saturday, Oct. 4 in Game 1 of the ALDS, and the start time depends on the conclusion of one other series.
If the Boston Red Sox beat the Yankees and advance to the ALDS, the Tigers-Mariners Game 1 start time will be 4:08 p.m. ET. If the Yankees advance, however, that game moves to 8:38 p.m. ET.
Who is pitching Game 1 for the Tigers?
That question doesn’t have a solid answer at the moment.
We can infer that starting pitchers Casey Mize and Jack Flaherty will not be available to start Game 1 on super-short rest, while lefty ace Tarik Skubal, who started Game 1 of the wild-card series, probably won’t start on Saturday, either, as he would be without regular rest.
That leaves a few options already on the postseason roster, namely Troy Melton, who got some run as a starter in the final week of the season. The Tigers could also try a bullpen game with a reliever such as Tyler Holton getting the starting nod.
There’s also right-hander Keider Montero, who started the Tigers’ playoff-clinching game last Saturday. He should be available to take the hill if needed after not pitching in the wild-card series (though he was on the roster).
How good are the Seattle Mariners?
Ryan Ford, Detroit Free Press: The Mariners (90-72) took the season series, 4-2, with the Tigers taking two of three from the M’s in Seattle in the second series of the season back in March and April and the M’s sweeping three in Detroit (with a 35-14 run differential) just before the All-Star break.
The star of that series — as he has been in virtually every series this year — was Cal Raleigh, aka “Big Dumper.” The 28-year-old catcher popped two home runs and drove in five runs on July 11, giving Comerica Park fans a sampling of the power that made him the fourth player in American League history with 60 homers in a season. Raleigh’s huge season has overshadowed Mariners outfield star Julio Rodriguez, who slashed .290/.343/.560 in the second half to finish with 32 homers and 30 steals — his second 30-30 campaign in four MLB seasons.
The ace of the staff is right-hander Bryan Woo, who won 15 games with a 2.94 ERA and 198 strikeouts in 186 2/3 innings in an All-Star campaign. He’s expected to be part of the ALDS rotation, but he hasn’t pitched since Sept. 19, departing his last start with a pectoral inflammation. He also missed both series against the Tigers this season, though he threw seven shutout innings (with only four hits allowed) against them last season.
Are tickets available for Game 3 at Comerica Park?
Yes!
With the series win over Cleveland, the Tigers clinched at least one home playoff game for 2025. Tickets are already available on third-party sites like StubHub, though they’re not running cheap at the moment.
Buy Detroit Tigers playoff tickets on StubHub
Tigers vs Mariners playoff schedule ALDS 2025 series
*If necessary
Saturday, Oct. 4, Game 1: Tigers at Mariners, 8:38 p.m. ET (if Yankees advance), OR 4:08 p.m. ET (if Red Sox advance), Fox/FS1.Sunday, Oct. 5, Game 2: Tigers at Mariners, 8:03 p.m. ET, FS1.Tuesday, Oct. 7, Game 3: Mariners at Tigers, time TBA, Fox or FS1.*Wednesday, Oct. 8, Game 4: Mariners at Tigers, time TBA, Fox or FS1.*Friday, Oct. 10, Game 5: Tigers at Mariners, time TBA, Fox or FS1.
You can reach Christian at cromo@freepress.com
This story was updated to reflect Keider Montero’s playoff roster status.