CLEVELAND — It’s win-or-go-home in Cleveland.
The Guardians and Detroit Tigers meet for a decisive Game 3 of the American League Wild Card Series on Thursday, Oct. 2.
The Tigers won 2-1 in Game 1. Facing elimination, the Guardians extended the series with a 6-1 win in Game 2. Just like the regular season, Detroit has had trouble putting the Guardians away for good.
The winner of Game 3 will advance to the ALDS to face the Seattle Mariners.
Follow along here for live score updates, analysis and highlights from Guardians-Tigers Game 3 at Progressive Field:
The Guardians’ crazy run has come to an end. Cleveland lost 6-3 in Game 3 of the Wild Card Series, and the Tigers will advance to the ALDS to face the Seattle Mariners.
Another wild play involving Jose Ramirez just took place, and the Guardians have cut the Tigers lead to 6-3.
With two outs and two runners on, Jose Ramirez hit a sharp ground ball to the right side. It was fielded cleanly, and what should have been a routine play turned into chaos when Will Vest couldn’t handle the toss at first base, allowing two runs to score.
What might have saved the Tigers is that Vest raced to grab the ball near the Tigers dugout and made a fantastic throw to second base to nab Ramirez for the third and final out. Instead of a 6-3 game with another runner in scoring position, the inning is over.
Even though Vest might have saved the day for the Tigers, it’s crazy that another play late in the game at first base involving Ramirez turned into bedlam.
Cade Smith is entering for the ninth inning. The Guardians have three outs to score three runs to save their season.
If the Guardians can force extra innings, their pitching situation is not in great shape. They’ve been aggressive for a reason, but after Smith they only have Kolby Allard available.
The Guardians’ playoff hopes are in serious jeopardy now.
After Perez’s two-run single, Spencer Torkelson and Riley Greene followed with back-to-back RBI singles, and the Tigers have taken a commanding 6-1 lead in the seventh inning of Game 3.
That inning simply unraveled on Cleveland, and that offense has to suddenly find a lot of firepower that hasn’t been there most of the year.
Wenceel Perez just delivered a haymaker to the Guardians.
Against Erik Sabrowski, Javy Baez drilled a double off the left-field wall. Parker Meadows laid down a bunt but beat it out for a single to put runners on the corners.
That led to Hunter Gaddis entering the game. Gleyber Torres grounded on back to the mound for an out. Kerry Carpenter was intentionally walked to load the bases with one out.
Perez, then, blooped a two-run single into right field, and the Tigers have taken a 4-1 lead in the seventh inning.
Tigers catcher Dillon Dingler, who went to Jackson High School, has given Detroit the lead in Game 3 with a solo home run. He drilled a Joey Cantillo pitch over the 19-foot wall in left field for his first career postseason home run.
It’s 2-1 Tigers in the sixth. Erik Sabrowski is entering. The Guardians will have the top of their lineup due up as they try to answer.
The Guardians and Tigers are locked into yet another low-scoring battle. It’s tied 1-1 entering the sixth inning. Joey Cantillo is coming back out for the sixth.
Game 3 is tied.
George Valera doubled to right field and was followed by Jose Ramirez, who tied it with an RBI single to right-center field. Ramirez has come through for Cleveland yet again.
These Guardians-Tigers playoff games are so intense in part because it feels like every hit, and especially every run, might be the one to win it.
Joey Cantillo is entering for the fourth inning. Slade Cecconi threw 2 1/3, and Tim Herrin recorded two huge outs.
Unless he looks dominant, it’d be a bit of a surprise if Cantillo faced many hitters twice.
Considering the Tigers scored via a defensive mistake, and they escaped the inning with the Guardians only trailing 1-0, that was another great job on the mound by Tim Herrin, who struck out Spencer Torkelson.
It’s a play Kayfus probably should have made, but the Guardians are also fortunate to only be down 1-0.
The Tigers have the lead in Game 3.
With runners on the corners, Kerry Carpenter grounded the ball right down the first-base line. Guardians first baseman C.J. Kayfus tried to backhand it but couldn’t field it, and it rolled into foul territory, allowing one run to score and putting two more in scoring position.
The play is being ruled a hit for now, but it looked like an error, and the Tigers are up 1-0.
A left-hander is entering the game early, but it isn’t Joey Cantillo — it’s Tim Herrin.
Cecconi allowed singles to the last two hitters he faced, and the Tigers have runners on the corners with one out. Tim Herrin was superb in Game 2, and he’ll be needed again in Game 3.
Herrin will face Kerry Carpenter.
That’s a helluva time to notch your first career hit. Chase DeLauter, who made his debut yesterday in Game 2, just grounded a single into right field with one out in the second inning.
Weirdly, his official first hit will come next regular season, but this one will mean a bit more, surely.
Jack Flaherty had a much breezier first inning that ended with a strikeout of Jose Ramirez.
It’s still scoreless in Cleveland.
Slade Cecconi is through the first inning without the Tigers scoring, but there were some worrisome indicators for the Guardians.
Cecconi labored a bit, struggling to put a few hitters away, and he tossed 26 pitches in the inning. It also looks like he received a fortunate third-called-strike call to end the inning. Spencer Torkelson was upset, and it looks like he had a reason to be.
It appears as though the Tigers are anticipating left-hander Joey Cantillo to enter the game relatively early in this one, as switch-hitter Wenceel Perez is hitting third with Parker Meadows in the No. 9 spot to even out the lineup a bit.
Below is some pregame information.
Cleveland is 2-8 in franchise history in win-or-go-home games. Last year, their win over the Tigers in Game 5 of the ALDS snapped an eight-game losing streak in such instances.
First pitch for the Guardians and Tigers will be at 3:08 p.m. today in Cleveland.
Steven Kwan, LFGeorge Valera, RFJose Ramírez, 3BKyle Manzardo, DHChase DeLauter, CFGabriel Arias, SSBo Naylor, CC.J. Kayfus, 1BBrayan Rocchio, 2B
Slade Cecconi will take the mound for the Guardians. He went 1-1 with a 2.25 ERA against the Tigers during the regular season.
Guardians manager Stephen Vogt puts faith in Slade Ceconni in Game 3
Cleveland Guardians talks about the pitching staff including starting Slade Ceconni in Game 3 of the AL wildcard series as well as using the bullpen.
Jack Flaherty will get the start for the Tigers. This season against the Guardians, he went 0-3 with a 3.94 ERA.
You can listen to the Guardians on the radio on the following stations in Northeast Ohio: WTAM (1100-AM), WMMS (100.7-FM) and WARF (1350-AM).
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Our Guardians coverage team of Ryan Lewis and Nate Ulrich both forecast another tight game today. Each predict the Guardians will win. Read more about their picks here.
When the Guardians announced their roster for the series with the Tigers on Tuesday morning, it included an interesting name, Chase DeLauter. The next day, in Game 2, the team’s former top prospect became just the sixth player to make his major league debut in the playoffs. Read more here on his journey, debut and impact on the Game 2 win.
The Beacon Journal sports department can be contacted via email at bjsports@thebeaconjournal.com.