Detroit Tigers’ A.J. Hinch on Cleveland Guardians before MLB playoffs
Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch talks about the AL wild-card series against the Cleveland Guardians on Sept. 29, 2025, at Progressive Field.
The Detroit Tigers have a 1-0 series lead in the 2025 MLB playoffs.
The Tigers beat the Cleveland Guardians 2-1 in Game 1 of a best-of-three wild-card series on Tuesday, Sept. 30 at Progressive Field in Cleveland. American League Cy Young favorite Tarik Skubal, whose last playoff start was a Game 5 loss to the Guardians in Cleveland in the 2024 AL Division Series, set a career-high with 14 strikeouts after 7â…” innings, exiting the game with a 2-1 lead in the eighth inning.
Will Vest shut down the Guardians with a four-out save, sweating a leadoff single from José RamÃrez in the ninth inning that had the All-Star end up on third base as the tying run with no one out. Vest caught RamÃrez in a rundown, however, to extinguish the threat.
With the win, the Tigers only have to win one of the next two games to advance to an ALDS matchup with the Seattle Mariners.
The Tigers spent most of the season atop the AL Central standings, looking like a World Series favorite one year after a stunning regular-season run got them a surprising playoff berth. But a 7-17 September record gave way to the Guardians’ 20-7 September hot streak, as Cleveland roared back from an 11-game deficit on Sept. 4 to clinch the division on the final day of the regular season.
Here is how Game 1 happened.
Celebrate 125 years of Detroit Tigers history with our new book!
FINAL: Tigers 2, Guardians 1
A hard ground ball from José RamÃrez up the middle to lead off the inning was vacuumed up by Javier Báez, but Báez’s throw got by Spencer Torkelson at first base. RamÃrez took advantage and hustled to third base to put the tying run 90 feet away.
But an infield hit came back to bite the Guardians. With one out following a Will Vest strikeout against George Valera, a Kyle Manzardo swinging bunt to Vest caught RamÃrez in a rundown between third base and home plate, with Vest tagging him out for the second out of the inning. A soft flyout from C.J. Kayfus to Riley Greene in left field ended the game. Tigers have a 1-0 series lead.
Middle 9th: Tigers 2, Guardians 1
The Tigers got their first two runners on with Spencer Torkelson getting hit by the first pitch of the inning and Riley Greene drawing a walk. A sacrifice bunt by Wenceel Pérez moved the runners into scoring position, but a soft lineout from Dillon Dingler (and a divinig play by second baseman Brayan Rocchio) notched the second out.
Zach McKinstry then struck out swinging to end the inning. Three outs to go for the first Tigers playoff win.
Middle 8th: Tigers 2, Guardians 1
Tigers reliver Will Vest came into the game with a runner on second base and two outs, looking to keep the Guardians from tying the game. He kept Detroit ahead by forcing a groundout to first base from pinch hitter Bo Naylor.
Tigers are up 2-1 in the ninth.
Bottom 8th: Tigers 2, Guardians 1
Skubal made history quickly in the bottom of the eighth, and then immediately got the Tigers into trouble.
A walk to Austin Hedges put the tying run on first base with the top of the order up to bat. A Steven Kwan groundout to Skubal finished his day. Skubal’s final line: 7â…” innings, 1 ER, 3 H, 14 Ks, 3 BB.
Will Vest is coming into the game with a runner on second and two outs in the eighth.
Skubal’s strikeout of Jhonkensy Noel in the eighth inning sets his career high. It also tied the Tigers record for most strikeouts in a postseason game, matching Joe Coleman’s 14 strikeouts in the 1972 ALCS.
Middle 7th: Tigers 2, Guardians 1
Skubal struck out the side in the seventh inning on 15 pitches. He has 13 strikeouts so far.
With 96 pitches, it’s possible he won’t go out for the eighth. Some more runs from the Tigers offense this inning would make manager A.J. Hinch’s decision easier, though.
Middle 7th: Tigers 2, Guardians 1
Catcher Dillon Dingler struck out with runners on first and third to mark the first out of the inning. However, All-Star Zach McKinstry broke the tie with a safety squeeze, scoring Greene from third base and giving the Tigers a 2-1 lead.
Skubal is coming back to the mound.
Top 7th: Tigers 1, Guardians 1
Tigers left fielder Riley Greene led off the top of the seventh inning with a double to right-center field, marking the first extra-base hit for either team in the game. Right fielder Wenceel Pérez then reached on a hard infield single that bounced off the glove of Cleveland first baseman Jhonkensy Noel.
That knocked Cleveland starter Gavin Williams out of the game, which means Cleveland’s elite bullpen is now getting to work. Tigers have runners on the corners with no one out and reliver Hunter Gaddis coming into the game.
End 6th: Tigers 1, Guardians 1
Skubal struck out Angel MartÃnez on a hard-fought, eight-pitch plate apperance, and followed that with getting José RamÃrez to pop out to right field. Skubal then got his 10th strikeout by setting down Johnathan RodrÃguez for his second-straight 1-2-3 inning.
He has 82 pitches after six innings. A complete game might be out of reach for the lefty ace, but eight full innings is certainly possible.
Middle 6th: Tigers 1, Guardians 1
The Tigers offense has generated only three baserunners since scoring their opening run in the first inning, two of those coming off singles from shortstop Javier Báez from the No. 9 spot in the lineup.
Tigers hitters have four total hits and just one walk to eight strikeouts after a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the sixth. It is officially a pitchers’ duel.
Zero extra-base hits so far in Cleveland.
By either team.
And we’re in the 6th inning.
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) September 30, 2025
End 5th: Tigers 1, Guardians 1
The Tigers went scoreless again in the top of the fifth against Williams, giving the ball back to Skubal.
He was game this time, getting three outs on 11 pitches, including strikeouts on Jhonkensy Noel and Austin Hedges. He has eight strikeouts on 66 pitches through five innings, on track to pitch nine innings if needed.
End 4th: Tigers 1, Guardians 1
The Guardians got the first two batters on in the fourth inning, one on an infield single from Angel MartÃnez and another on a walk from José RamÃrez. Skubal made quick work of Johnathan RodrÃguez and Kyle Manzardo, however, striking both out on six consecutive strikes to get the first two outs of the inning.
A soft infield hit from Gabriel Arias scattered the Tigers infield towards the ball with MartÃnez streaking towards home plate. Skubal picked it up and fired it home, with catcher Dillon Dingler applying the tag on a call that was initially called out, but the play was reversed upon review. Guardians tie the game, but get no more after a bunt attempt from Brian Rocchio ended the inning.
End 3rd: Tigers 1, Guardians 0.
Skubal struck out Brayan Rocchio and Jhonkensy Noel to start the bottom of the third inning, notching his third and fourth strikeout of the game. A walk to the ninth-place hitter Austin Hedges brought the top of the lineup back up, but leadoff hitter Steven Kwan lined out to left fielder Riley Greene to finish the inning.
Tigers are up after three.
Middle 3rd: Tigers 1, Guardians 0
Tigers shortstop Javier Báez led off the inning with a soft single through the right side of the infield, giving the Tigers a leadoff runner as they turned the lineup over against Williams.
A Parker Meadows walk put two Tigers on base with zero outs, but that turned into two with a double play off the bat of Tigers second baseman Gleyber Torres. Designated hitter Kerry Carpenter then worked the count to 3-2, but struck out on the ninth pitch of the at-bat to strand Báez at third base.
End 2nd: Tigers 1, Guardians 0
The Tigers offense went down 1-2-3 in the top of the second inning.
In the bottom of the second, Skubal allowed a one-out single to Guardians designated hitter Kyle Manzardo, the first Cleveland player to reach base.
Two pitches later, Skubal forced an inning-ending double-play off the bat of shortstop Gabriel Arias to keep the Guardians off the scoreboard. With only 20 pitches thrown, he’s cruising after two innings.
End 1st: Tigers 1, Guardians 0
Skubal struck out Angel MartÃnez and José RamÃrez for the final two outs of the first inning after getting leadoff hitter Steven Kwan to ground out to shortstop Javier Báez.
Skubal has hit 99+ MPH on his fastball four times already, with the strikeout pitch to MartÃnez hitting 100 mph.
Middle 1st: Tigers 1, Guardians 0
Guardians ace Gavin Williams got the first two outs of the game on two pitches, one on a flyout from Tigers leadoff hitter Parker Meadows and the next on a groundout by Gleyber Torres.
Designated hitter Kerry Carpenter got a base hit and reached second on an error from right fielder Johnathan RodrÃguez, and Spencer Torkelson drove him in on a single two pitches later. Tigers take the early lead after one inning.
The first game of the 2025 MLB postseason will be Game 1 of the wild-card series between the Tigers and the Guardians.
Since ESPN has exclusive TV rights to the wild-card series, the Tigers primary play-by-play announcer Jason Benetti will not be calling the game for FanDuel Sports Network.
However, since the radio broadcast will be on WXYT-FM 97.1, longtime Tigers broadcaster Dan Dickerson will be on the play-by-play call for Game 1 against the Guardians.
Tigers Game 1 starter Tarik Skubal has made four starts against the Guardians in 2025, and they’ve all been excellent.
May 25: 9 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 13 K, 0 BB (W).
July 6: 7 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, 10 K, 0 BB (W).
Sept. 18: 6 IP, 1 ER, 7 H, 9 K, 2 BB (L).
Sept. 23: 6 IP, 1 ER, 4 H, 8 K, 3 BB (L).
Despite only giving up two earned runs in four starts, good for a microscopic 0.64 ERA, Skubal is only 2-2 against the Guardians in 2025. He hopes to grab a third win with another solid start today.
Guardians pitching has done a very good job limiting production against Detroit’s hitters this year. Among Tigers batters with at least 25 plate appearances against Cleveland this season, only two are hitting for an OPS above the league average of .719. Here’s the full list.
Spencer Torkelson – .784 in 54 PA.Javier Báez – .720 in 25 PA.Kerry Carpenter – .709 in 28 PA.Colt Keith – .683 in 26 PA.*Gleyber Torres – .683 in 49 PA.Zach McKinstry – .644 in 35 PA.Riley Greene – .610 in 52 PA.Wenceel Pérez – .607 in 37 PA.Trey Sweeney – .544 in 25 PA.Dillon Dingler – .447 in 43 PA.Parker Meadows – .393 in 30 PA.
*Out for wild-card series with an injury.
After his first All-Star season, right-handed pitcher Casey Mize will get the start for Game 2 of the Tigers’ wild-card series against the Cleveland Guardians. Should there be a Game 3, right-hander Jack Flaherty will get the start.
Mize had a 3.87 ERA over 149 innings in 2025 and has pitched especially well against Cleveland, putting up a 2.08 ERA over three starts against the Guardians.
The Guardians are running a left-handed heavy lineup for Game 1 against Tigers lefty ace Tarik Skubal.
The Tigers have released their Game 1 lineup, and it looks similar to recent lineups they’ve used against right-handed starters.
One interesting note: the Tigers are playing Javier Báez at shortstop over left-handed Trey Sweeney. Neither player has been hitting well lately, but Báez’s defense could come in crucial for Tarik Skubal and the rest of the Tigers pitching staff.
What time is Tigers Game 1 vs Guardians?
The Tigers will play a best-of-three wild-card series against the Guardians starting on Tuesday, with first pitch scheduled for 1:08 p.m. ET.
Date: Tuesday, Sept. 30.
Time: 1:08 p.m. ET.
Location: Progressive Field, Cleveland.
Tigers Game 1 channel vs Guardians
The Tigers vs Guardians wild-card series will air on ESPN in the early slot of the day’s playoff action.
First pitch: 1:08 p.m. ET.
Channel: ESPN.
Streaming: Fubo.
Radio: WXYT-FM, 97.1.
Tuesday’s game can also be streamed on Fubo, which carries the ESPN platform of channels.
Tigers vs Guardians playoff schedule 2025
Best-of-three series; *if necessary
Game 1, Tuesday, Sept. 30:Â Tigers at Guardians, 1:08 p.m., ESPN.Game 2, Wednesday, Oct. 1:Â Tigers at Guardians, 1:08 p.m., ESPN.*Game 3, Thursday, Oct. 2:Â Tigers at Guardians, 1:08 p.m., ESPN.MLB wild-card series schedule 2025
Tuesday’s Game 1 schedule
AL: Tigers at Guardians, 1:08 p.m. ET (ESPN).
NL: San Diego Padres at Chicago Cubs, 3:08 p.m. ET (ABC).
AL: Boston Red Sox at New York Yankees, 6:08 p.m. ET (ESPN).
NL: Cincinnati Reds at Los Angeles Dodgers, 9:08 p.m. ET (ESPN).
Tigers vs Guardians Game 1 odds
The Tigers are a slight favorite to win Game 1, per BetMGM.
Spread: Tigers by 1½ runs.
Over/under: 6 runs.
Moneyline: Tigers (-165), Guardians (+140).
Tigers vs Guardians prediction
Evan Petzold, Detroit Free Press: The Guardians won 24 of their final 32 games, leading MLB with a 2.72 ERA. Before that stretch, the Guardians ranked 15th with a 3.97 ERA in their first 130 games. The pitching — especially the starting rotation — is bound to regress, and with one of the weakest offenses in baseball, that could crush the Guardians. Meanwhile, the Tigers boast the more balanced roster with the best pitcher in the world and a stronger offense, putting them in position to end the Guardians’ magical run. The pick: Tigers in 3.
Tigers vs Guardians playoff history
The Tigers and Guardians did not meet in the MLB playoffs in the first 123 years of their shared history as charter members of the American League.
The clubs will now meet for the second consecutive season in the playoffs.
Here are the results from the Tigers-Guardians playoff series in the 2024 ALDS:
Game 1, Oct. 5:Â Guardians, 7, Tigers 0Â in Cleveland.Game 2, Oct. 7:Â Tigers 3, Guardians 0Â in Cleveland.Game 3, Oct. 9:Â Tigers 3, Guardians 0Â in Detroit.Game 4, Oct. 10:Â Guardians 5, Tigers 4Â in Detroit.Game 5, Oct. 12:Â Guardians 7, Tigers 3Â in Cleveland.
You can reach Christian at cromo@freepress.com