The Detroit Tigers defeated the Cleveland Guardians, 6-3, on Thursday in Game 3 of their American League Wild Card Series, thereby winning the best-of-three series and advancing to face the Seattle Mariners in the ALDS. While the Guardians staged an historic comeback during the regular season to win the AL Central crown, overtaking the Tigers after trailing by as many as 15 ½ games, it’ll be the Tigers who laugh last and advance for a date against the second-seeded M’s in the best-of-five Division Series that starts Saturday.
The Tigers struck first on Thursday, with designated hitter Kerry Carpenter opening the scoring in third inning with a double that clanked off Cleveland first baseman C.J. Kayfus’s glove. The Guardians tied the game up in the bottom of the fourth. Star third baseman José Ramírez, who had been quiet this series, went down and got a curveball from Jack Flaherty for a run-scoring single.
From there, Game 3 almost followed Game 2’s trail step by step, remaining deadlocked until one offense exploded and created enough separation to secure the win.
Whereas it was the Guardians who did that on Wednesday, turning a 1-1 contest entering the bottom of the eighth into a 6-1 victory, the Tigers took their turn on Thursday. Catcher Dillon Dingler homered in the sixth to give Detroit a 2-1 lead. And then, in the seventh, the Tigers went off.
Outfielder Wenceel Pérez, moved to the third slot in the order for this game, delivered a two-run single to widen the advantage. First baseman Spencer Torkelson and outfielder Riley Greene then added hits and runs of their own, giving the Tigers a 6-1 edge.
The Guardians, ranked 28th during the regular season in runs scored and in park-adjusted offense, were able to plate two on an error in the bottom of the eighth inning, but that’s as far as their comeback attempt progressed.The Tigers will now play the Mariners for a chance to advance beyond the Division Series for the first time since 2013. The Guardians, meanwhile, will begin their offseason.