An intense intradivision clash kicked off the 2025 Major League Baseball postseason.
And it did not disappoint.
While Tigers-Guardians might not make anyone forget Red Sox-Yankees, the American League Central rivals are building on a bitterness that has been mounting over the past year. And they added another nail-biting performance in Game 1 of their American League wild card series at Progressive Field in Cleveland.
Detroit held on for a 2-1 win that puts it on the brink of a second consecutive trip to the AL Division Series. The Tigers escaped after navigating around the Guardians putting a runner on third base with no one out in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Tarik Skubal was phenomenal for the Tigers, striking out 14 batters in 7⅔ innings and allowing just one run on three hits – two of which didn’t leave the infield. Guardians starter Gavin Williams also shined in six innings of work, allowing two unearned runs on five hits with eight strikeouts.
‘Anyone new to the Tigers/Guardians, this is what they look like,’ Tigers manager A.J. Hinch told reporters after the win. ‘Like every game. And obviously, Tarik set an incredible tone for us.
‘He’s been incredible for us all season, but what a performance at the biggest moments in the biggest stage to get us in a great position to win the game.’
Here’s a rundown of how Game 1 of the AL wild card series between the Tigers and Guardians went down:
Watch Tigers at Guardians on Fubo (free trial)
Final score: Tigers 2, Guardians 1
Players of the game
Tarik Skubal (DET): 7⅔ IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 3 BB, 14 K
Gavin Williams (CLE): 6 IP, 2 R (0 ER), 5 H, 1 BB, 8 K
Riley Greene (DET): 1-3, 2B, BB, R
Jose Ramirez (CLE): 1-3, BB
Guardians waste golden opportunity
Jose Ramirez led off the ninth inning with an infield single up the middle, on which Javier Baez made a heck of a diving play. However, Baez’s throw short-hopped first baseman Spencer Torkelson and rolled down the first-base line. Ramirez hustled all the way to third base to give the Guardians the tying run on third base with no one out.
But then Will Vest went to work. He struck out pinch-hitter George Valera and then got a comebacker by Kyle Manzardo. Ramirez bolted toward home, but Vest ran him down to get the second out. Pinch-hitter C.J. Kayfus popped out to end the game.
Tigers 9th inning
Guardians closer Cade Smith came on and was not at his best, but got out of the inning unscathed. He hit Spencer Torkelson with the first pitch he threw and then walked Riley Greene. After a sac bunt by Wenceel Perez, Smith got Dillon Dingler to hit a broken-bat looper to second baseman Brayan Rocchio, who made a diving catch on the infield grass. Then Smith got Zach McKinstry to strike out to end the threat. Score: Tigers 2, Guardians 1.
Guardians 8th inning
Will Vest finished off the eighth for Tarik Skubal by getting Bo Naylor to ground out to first base. It’s on to the ninth inning with the Tigers still leading 2-1.
Tarik Skubal out of game
Tarik Skubal will be relieved with two outs in the eighth inning. Skubal threw 107 pitches and finished with 14 strikeouts, getting Jhonkensy Noel for the third time to start the eighth. After walking Austin Hedges for the second time today, he got Steven Kwan to ground out to him for the second out. That’s when manager A.J. Hinch came to take him out with a runner at second base and two outs. WIll Vest will come on for the Tigers.
Tigers 8th inning
Cleveland pitching struck out the side in the eighth, with Hunter Gaddis taking care of Parker Meadows and Gleyber Torres, and Erik Sabrowski coming in to get Kerry Carpenter swinging. There have now been 25 strikeouts in this game – 12 by Cleveland pitchers and 13 by Detroit ace Tarik Skubal. Score: Tigers 2, Guardians 1.
Guardians 7th inning
Tarik Skubal does not look like he’s slowing down, and Cleveland is running out of chances.
Skubal struck out the side, baffling Kyle Manzardo, Gabriel Arias and Brayan Rocchio, to give him 13 strikeouts. The last pitch he threw, which Rocchio swung right through, was clocked at 101 mph. Skubal has racked up 24 swings-and-misses this afternoon. Score: Tigers 2, Guardians 1.
Tigers 7th inning
Detroit breaks the tie on a perfect squeeze bunt by Zach McKinstry that brought home Riley Greene. Hunter Gaddis struck out Dillon Dingler before McKinstry’s bunt scored the go-ahead run. Javier Baez ended the inning with a groundout, but Detroit is back on top. Score: Tigers 2, Guardians 1.
Tigers threatening in 7th
After a leadoff double by Riley Greene and a single by Wenceel Perez gave Detroit runners at the corners and no one out, the Guardians are going to the bullpen. Hunter Gaddis will come on to try and snuff out the Tigers rally.
Guardians 6th inning
Tarik Skubal set down the Guardians in order and added two more strikeouts, giving him 10 for the game. Skubal has thrown 82 pitches through six innings. Score: Tigers 1, Guardians 1.
Tigers 6th inning
It was another 1-2-3 inning for Gavin Williams, who also notched his eighth strikeout. Williams has retired 11 of his past 12 batters faced. Score: Tigers 1, Guardians 1.
Guardians 5th inning
Tarik Skubal breezed through the fifth, striking out Jhonkensy Noel and Austin Hedges before getting Steven Kwan to ground out to third. Skubal has eight strikeouts on the day. Score: Tigers 1, Guardians 1.
Tigers 5th inning
Gavin Williams worked around a two-out single by Javier Baez with two strikeouts, giving him seven for the game. Williams threw 10 of his 11 pitches for a strike in the fifth inning. Score: Tigers 1, Guardians 1.
Guardians 4th inning
Tarik Skubal might be experiencing déjà vu, as Cleveland tied this game without even hitting the ball out of the infield.
After an infield single by Angel Martinez and a gritty walk by Jose Ramirez, Skubal blew away Johnathan Rodriguez and Kyle Manzardo on six pitches. Gabriel Arias followed with a high chopper over Skubal, who hopped off the back of the mound and fielded the ball. Martinez, who was at second base, kept running toward home. Skubal tossed to Dillon Dingler, and Martinez slid head-first slide under the Tigers catcher. The home plate umpire originally called Martinez out, but Guardians manager Stephen Vogt quickly called for a challenge, which Cleveland won to tie the game.
Skubal prevented further damage with an amazing play on a Brayan Rocchio push-bunt. Had the ball gotten by Skubal, who fielded and tossed to first with his glove, Ramirez would have scored from third to give Cleveland the lead. Score: Tigers 1, Guardians 1.
Foul ball shatters camera behind home plate
A foul ball by the Guardians’ Angel Martinez went straight back behind the plate and struck an in-stadium camera, shattering the lens and sending glass all over the field. Check it out.
Tigers 4th inning
It was a much clearer inning for Gavin Williams in the fourth, retiring Spencer Torkelson on a fly out and striking out Riley Greene and Wenceel Perez to set down the Tigers. Score: Tigers 1, Guardians 0.
Guardians 3rd inning
A two-out walk to Austin Hedges on four pitches was the only blemish in another impressive inning by Tarik Skubal, who added two more strikeouts. Skubal now has four K’s on the day. Score: Tigers 1, Guardians 0.
Tigers 3rd inning
Detroit put the first two hitters on base with a single by Javier Baez and walk by Parker Meadows. After falling behind in the count 3-1 to Gleyber Torres, Gavin Williams got a 6-4-3 double play before striking out Kerry Carpenter in a nine-pitch at-bat to defuse the threat. Score: Tigers 1, Guardians 0.
Guardians 2nd inning
The no-hitter is gone, but Tarik Skubal quickly erased a one-out single by Kyle Manzardo by inducing Gabriel Arias to hit into a 6-4-3 double play. It was a six-pitch inning by Skubal. Score: Tigers 1, Guardians 0.
Tigers 2nd inning
Gavin Williams responded with his own 1-2-3 inning, striking out Zach McKinstry to end the top half of the second. Score: Tigers 1, Guardians 0.
Guardians 1st inning
Tarik Skubal threw eight of his 14 pitches for strikes and recorded two strikeouts, including Jose Ramirez, in a 1-2-3 bottom of the first. Score: Tigers 1, Guardians 0.
Tigers 1st inning
A big error in right field by Johnathan Rodriguez cost Gavin Williams and the Guardians a run right away.
Williams retired the first two batters on just two pitches before Kerry Carpenter laced a single to right. Rodriguez misplayed the ball, which allowed Carpenter to go to second. One batter later, Spencer Torkelson dumped a single over short to score Carpenter. Williams struck out Greene to end the first. Score: Tigers 1, Guardians coming to bat.
What time is Tigers vs Guardians Game 1?
Date: Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025
Start time: 1:08 p.m. ET
Game 1 of the AL wild card series between the Tigers and Guardians will start at 1:08 p.m. ET from Progressive Field in Cleveland.
What channel is Tigers vs Guardians Game 1?
TV channel: ESPN
Streaming: ESPN app, Fubo
Tigers vs Guardians predictions
Here’s how the USA TODAY Sports MLB writers and editors see the Tigers-Guardians wild-card series shaking out:
Bob Nightengale: Guardians in 3
Gabe Lacques: Tigers in 2
Jesse Yomtov: Guardians in 2
Tigers pitcher today
Detroit’s left-handed ace and reigning AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal will take the mound. Skubal was 13-6 with a 2.21 ERA in 31 starts this season. He’s made three career starts in the postseason, all of those last year, and two of them came against the Guardians. He’s 1-1 with a 2.37 ERA in those starts. This season, Skubal faced the Guardians four times and compiled a 1-1 record with a 0.64 ERA with 40 strikeouts in 28 innings.
Guardians pitcher today
Gavin Williams gets the ball in Game 1 for Cleveland. The right-hander was 12-5 with a 3.06 ERA in 31 starts this season. Williams has only made one career postseason start, and it came last year against the Yankees in Game 4 of the ALCS. He allowed three earned runs in 2⅓ innings (11.57 ERA) but he took a no-decision. Williams is 2-0 with a 1.06 ERA in three starts this season, with 29 strikeouts in 17 innings.
Tigers lineup for Game 1
Parker Meadows, CF
Gleyber Torres, 2B
Kerry Carpenter, DH
Spencer Torkelson, 1B
Riley Greene, LF
Wenceel Perez, RF
Dillon Dingler, C
Zach McKinstry, 3B
Javier Baez, SS
Guardians lineup for Game 1
Steven Kwan, LF
Angel Martinez, CF
Jose Ramirez, 3B
Johnathan Rodriguez, RF
Kyle Manzardo, DH
Gabriel Arias, SS
Brayan Rocchio, 2B
Jhonkensy Noel, 1B
Austin Hedges, C
Tigers record in 2025
Detroit finished 87-75 to each the No. 6 wild card in the American League. The Tigers held a 14-game lead in the division on July 8 but went 28-41 after that and lost the AL Central lead during the final week of the season.
Guardians record in 2025
Cleveland was 88-74, rallying from a 15.5-game deficit in early July to win its second consecutive division title. The Guardians went 48-26 after losing to the Tigers on July 6, that included winning 18 of their final 22 games and taking five of six from the Tigers in the final two weeks.
MLB postseason bracket
American League
No. 1 Toronto Blue Jays: Homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. Will host winner of No. 4 vs. No. 5 wild-card series in the AL Division Series.
No. 2 Seattle Mariners: Will host winner of No. 3 vs. No. 6 wild-card series in AL Division Series.
No. 6 Detroit Tigers at No. 3 Cleveland Guardians
No. 5 Boston Red Sox at No. 4 New York Yankees
National League
No. 1 Milwaukee Brewers: Homefield advantage throughout the playoffs, including World Series. Will host winner of No. 4 vs. No. 5 wild-card series in the NL Division Series.
No. 2 Philadelphia Phillies: Will host winner of No. 3 vs. No. 6 wild-card series in NL Division Series.
No. 6 Cincinnati Reds at No. 3 Los Angeles Dodgers
No. 5 San Diego Padres at No. 4 Chicago Cubs
MLB playoff picture
Wild Card Series
Tuesday, Sept. 30
Tigers at Guardians, Game 1: 1:08 p.m. ET, ESPN
Padres at Cubs, Game 1: 3:08 p.m. ET, ABC
Red Sox at Yankees, Game 1, 6:08 p.m. ET, ESPN
Reds at Dodgers, Game 1: 9:08 p.m. ET, ESPN
Wednesday, Oct. 1
Tigers at Guardians, Game 1: 1:08 p.m. ET, ESPN
Padres at Cubs, Game 2: 3:08 p.m. ET, ABC
Red Sox at Yankees, Game 2: 6:08 p.m. ET, ESPN
Reds at Dodgers, Game 2: 9:08 p.m. ET, ESPN
Thursday, Oct. 2
(Game 3 schedule subject to change)
Tigers at Guardians, Game 3: 1:08 p.m. ET, ESPN * if necessary
Padres at Cubs, Game 3: 3:08 p.m. ET, ABC * if necessary
Red Sox at Yankees, Game 3: 6:08 p.m. ET, ESPN * if necessary
Reds at Dodgers, Game 4: 9:08 p.m. ET, ESPN * if necessary
Who is Chase DeLauter?
The Guardians made the surprising decision to put outfielder Chase DeLauter on their 26-man roster for the wild-card round. It’s surprising because DeLauter, Cleveland’s first-round pick in the 2022 MLB draft, has yet to make his major-league debut. DeLauter, who has slashed .302/.384/.504 in three minor league seasons, will give the Guardians another left-handed bat off the bench and a strong defensive outfielder that can play all three spots.