The Detroit Tigers started off the season with two straight wins over the San Diego Padres at Petco Park.
Can they make it a clean sweep?
The Tigers beat the Padres on Opening Day, 8-2, then followed it up with another gutsy win on Friday, with rookie Kevin McGonigle once again stealing the show with a clutch hit in the 5-2 win.
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There’s one more game left in this series, with first pitch scheduled for 8:40 p.m. on Detroit SportsNet.
We’re a couple games into the season now, but for Detroit fans who want to watch, you might have to do some homework to figure it out.
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Detroit Tigers continue opening series vs San Diego Padres in Cali
San Diego Padres starting pitcher Michael King (34) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Detroit Tigers at Petco Park in San Diego on Friday March 27, 2026.

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Detroit Tigers continue opening series vs San Diego Padres in Cali
San Diego Padres starting pitcher Michael King (34) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Detroit Tigers at Petco Park in San Diego on Friday March 27, 2026.

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Detroit Tigers continue opening series vs San Diego Padres in Cali
Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Framber Valdez (59) throws a pitch during the first inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park in San Diego on Friday March 27, 2026.

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Detroit Tigers continue opening series vs San Diego Padres in Cali
Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Framber Valdez (59) throws a pitch during the first inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images

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Detroit Tigers continue opening series vs San Diego Padres in Cali
San Diego Padres center fielder Jackson Merrill (3) celebrates after robbing a home run from Detroit Tigers third baseman Kevin McGonigle (not pictured) during the second inning at Petco Park in San Diego on Friday March 27, 2026.

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Detroit Tigers continue opening series vs San Diego Padres in Cali
San Diego Padres center fielder Jackson Merrill (3) celebrates after hitting a double during the second inning against the Detroit Tigers at Petco Park in San Diego on Friday March 27, 2026.

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Detroit Tigers continue opening series vs San Diego Padres in Cali
Detroit Tigers center fielder Parker Meadows (22) steals second during the third inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park in San Diego on Friday March 27, 2026.

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Detroit Tigers continue opening series vs San Diego Padres in Cali
San Diego Padres left fielder Ramon Laureano (5) makes a catch during the third inning against the Detroit Tigers at Petco Park in San Diego on Friday March 27, 2026.

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Detroit Tigers continue opening series vs San Diego Padres in Cali
San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado (13) hits a double during the fourth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Petco Park in San Diego on Friday March 27, 2026.

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Detroit Tigers continue opening series vs San Diego Padres in Cali
San Diego Padres center fielder Jackson Merrill (3) celebrates with first base coach David Macias (46) after hitting an infield single during the fourth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Petco Park in San Diego on Friday March 27, 2026.

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Detroit Tigers continue opening series vs San Diego Padres in Cali
Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch (14) watches play during the fifth inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park in San Diego on Friday March 27, 2026.

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Detroit Tigers continue opening series vs San Diego Padres in Cali
San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado (13) throws to first during the fifth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Petco Park in San Diego on Friday March 27, 2026.

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Detroit Tigers continue opening series vs San Diego Padres in Cali
Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Framber Valdez (59) throws a pitch during the fifth inning against the San Diego at Petco Park in San Diego on Friday March 27, 2026.

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Detroit Tigers continue opening series vs San Diego Padres in Cali
Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Framber Valdez (59) throws a pitch during the fifth inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park in San Diego on Friday March 27, 2026.
With the Tigers leaving FanDuel Sports Network to create Detroit SportsNet through MLB Media, which will eventually host the Red Wings for the 2026-27 season as well, fans won’t be able to just flip to their normal channel for Tigers, Red Wings and Pistons games.
The Tigers and cable providers took the negotiations for where to place the channel right up to Wednesday before striking deals throughout most of Michigan.
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Here’s what you need to know for Game 3 of the Tigers-Padres series, how to watch the game and more:
GAME 2: Kevin McGonigle clutch hit sends Tigers to 5-2 win over Padres
What channel is Tigers vs Padres on?
Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch (14) comes to the mound to take out Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) during the fifth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at TD Ballpark in Dunedin, Florida, on Saturday, March 14, 2026.
Like the first two games of the Tigers’ series against the Padres, Saturday’s game will be broadcasted locally on Detroit SportsNet.
Channel:Â Detroit SportsNet.
What channel number is Detroit SportsNet?
Spectrum/Charter (Alpena, Detroit, Duluth-Superior, Flint-Saginaw, Grand Rapids-Kalamazoo, Lansing, Marquette, Traverse City): 213.
Spectrum/Charter (Livonia): 291
Spectrum/Charter (Fort Wayne, Green Bay-Appleton, Toledo): 307/1307.
Spectrum/Charter (on Spectrum app): 436.
When do the Tigers play the Padres today?
Date: Saturday, March 28.
Tigers vs Padres pitching matchup
Tigers: RHP Jack Flaherty (8-15, 4.64 ERA in 2025)
Padres: RHP Randy Vásquez (6-7, 3.84 ERA in 2025)
Tigers vs Padres series schedule
Saturday: 8:40 p.m. ET (DSN).
How much will Detroit SportsNet cost?
Fans can pay $19.99 per month or $189.99 for a full year – approximately $50 cheaper over a 12-month span. Fans can learn more about streaming subscriptions for the Tigers and Red Wings at Tigers.com/detroitsportsnet and DetroitRedWings.com/detroitsportsnet.
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How to stream Tigers, Red Wings games?
The new streaming home for the Tigers is the MLB app, available on web, mobile and TV platforms – with access to highlights, stats and news. As for the Red Wings, a system to stream games for the 2026-27 season is yet to be announced.
Jalen Williams is a trending reporter at the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at jawilliams1@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: What channel is Tigers-Padres tonight? How to watch Detroit SportsNet