CLEVELAND — The Detroit Tigers finally got their big swing.
It led to more big swings.
Dillon Dingler picked up the Tigers’ slumping offense with a go-ahead home run in the sixth inning, followed by a four-run breakthrough in the seventh inning.
Advertisement
The Tigers advanced to the ALDS with a 6-3 win over the Cleveland Guardians on Thursday, Oct. 2, in a winner-take-all Game 3 in the AL wild-card series at Progressive Field. The Tigers scored more than five runs in a game for the first time since Sept. 10.
With the victory, the Tigers (2-1) will take on the Seattle Mariners in the ALDS, while the Guardians (1-2) won’t play again until 2026. The best-of-five ALDS begins Saturday (4:08 p.m. or 8:38 p.m., FOX or FS1) at T-Mobile Park in Seattle.
The Tigers grabbed a 2-1 lead in the sixth inning, thanks to Dingler crushing a middle-up changeup from left-handed reliever Joey Cantillo for a solo home run over the 19-foot wall in left field.
It was the first hit of Dingler’s postseason career.
Advertisement
And it happened with two outs.
RECAP: Detroit Tigers vs Cleveland Guardians, Game 3 score, live updates and odds
In the seventh inning, the Tigers scored four runs for a 6-1 lead on Wenceel Pérez’s two-RBI single, Spencer Torkelson’s RBI single and Riley Greene’s RBI single. All three of those hits occurred with one out against right-handed reliever Hunter Gaddis.
The Tigers were sparked in the seventh inning by back-to-back hits: Javier Báez hit a double and Parker Meadows hit a bunt-single. The biggest hit came from Pérez, who stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and ripped a two-run single.
Advertisement
Before that, Pérez had just five hits in his last 66 plate appearances.
After taking a 6-1 lead, the Tigers let the Guardians score two runs in the eighth inning on a missed catch error by right-handed reliever Will Vest. The Tigers’ lead shrunk to 6-3, but Vest returned to the mound and put the Guardians away with a scoreless ninth inning.
Tigers take early lead
The Tigers scored first in Game 3.
Kerry Carpenter — who stayed in the game after the Guardians went to left-handed reliever Tim Herrin — pulled an inside sinker down the first-base line with runners on the corners and one out in the third inning. It should’ve been a groundout, possibly even a double play, but first baseman C.J. Kayfus misplayed the grounder.
Advertisement
The ball rolled deep into foul territory.
The Tigers took a 1-0 lead on Carpenter’s ball in play and Kayfus’ mistake.
There were two runners in scoring position for Pérez and Torkelson with the matchup advantage, as both hitters are better against left-handed pitchers, but Pérez popped out and Torkelson struck out swinging, stranding the runners.
Detroit Tigers right fielder Wenceel Pérez (46) celebrates batting a 2-RBI single against Cleveland Guardians during the seventh inning of Game 3 of AL wild-card series at Progressive Field in Cleveland on Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025.
Jack Flaherty steps up
Right-hander Jack Flaherty rolled through the first three innings, limiting the Guardians to one hit.
He ran into trouble in the fourth.
The Guardians opened the inning with back-to-back hits from George Valera (double) and José Ramírez (single), both on curveballs with two strikes.
Advertisement
The two hits tied the game, 1-1.
On Ramírez’s hit, Flaherty threw three balls, then two strikes to set up a full count. Flaherty flipped in a sixth-pitch curveball below the strike zone, but Ramírez reached to get it for an RBI single.
The Tigers escaped further trouble in the fourth inning, thanks to Dingler throwing out Ramírez trying to steal second base. To complete the out, Báez applied a quick highlight-reel tag.
Flaherty allowed one run on three hits and two walks with four strikeouts across 4⅔ innings, throwing 74 pitches. He owns a 1.62 ERA in three winner-take-all starts — three runs, 16⅔ innings — during his postseason career, spanning 11 games (10 starts).
Advertisement
[ MUST LISTEN: Make “Days of Roar” your go-to Tigers podcast, available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) ]
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
Listen to our weekly Tigers show “Days of Roar” every Monday afternoon on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Tigers score Game 3 win over Guardians: 6-3 to advance in MLB playoffs