Detroit Tigers win vs Guardians in Game 1 of wild card in MLB playoffs
Evan Petzold and Jeff Seidel break down the Detroit Tigers’ 2-1 win vs the Guardians in Game 1 of the AL wild-card series on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025.
The Detroit Tigers are one win away from advancing in the 2025 MLB playoffs to an American League Division Series matchup with the Seattle Mariners.
But first, they need to take care of business against the Cleveland Guardians.
The Tigers are tied 1-1 in Game 2 of their wild-card series today, Wednesday, Oct. 1, at Progressive Field in Cleveland. First pitch occured at 1:08 p.m. ET and the TV channel is ESPN with streaming on Fubo (free trial).
All-star righty Casey Mize pitched three innings for the Tigers, appearing in his first postseason game after not pitching in the 2024 playoffs.
The Guardians started right-hander Tanner Bibee, who went 12-11 with a 4.24 ERA over 182⅓ innings in 2025.
If the Guardians win, the series will be tied at 1-1 and head to a winner-take-all Game 3 on Thursday, Oct. 2. If the Tigers win, they will secure a series sweep and head to Seattle for Game 1 of the ALDS on Saturday, Oct. 4.
We’ll have all the score updates and highlights from today’s Tigers-Guardians playoff game.
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Tigers vs Guardians live updates today in Game 2
This section will be updated.
Middle 7th: Tigers 1, Guardians 1
The Tigers got runners on first and third with no outs in the seventh, putting themselves in a good position to break the tie. But strikeouts from Spencer Torkelson, Jahmai Jones and Wenceel Pérez ended the inning without a runner crossing the plate.
The Tigers are now 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position and have left 11 runners on base.
Top 7th: Tigers 1, Guardians 1
This is a new one.
Turns out Guardians lefty Tim Herrin didn’t face Tigers slugger Riley Greene — he faced pinch hitter Jahmai Jones, who has a .970 OPS against lefties this season.
But the substitution didn’t work out, with Jones striking out on a curveball. Greene is now out of the game.
Top 7th: Tigers 1, Guardians 1
Gleyber Torres led off the top of the seventh inning with a pitch just grazing his jersey, putting him on first base. Designated hitter Kerry Carpenter then singled up the middle on the eighth pitch of his plate appearance, bringing first baseman Spencer Torkelson up to bat.
Torkelson couldn’t bring in the run, however, with a shallow fly ball to left field keeping the runners at base. That knocked relief pitcher Hunter Gaddis out of the game, bringing in the lefty Tim Herrin to face left fielder Riley Greene.
End 6th: Tigers 1, Guardians 1
Tigers lefty Tyler Holton exited the game with one out in the sixth inning after pitching very effectively in middle relief.
His final line: 2⅓ innings, 0 ER, 1 H, 1 K.
Kyle Finnegan came in for the Tigers and allowed a two-out walk to José Ramírez, but finished a scoreless inning by forcing a groundout from Kyle Manzardo.
Middle 6th: Tigers 1, Guardians 1
Catcher Dillon Dingler drew a one-out walk to bring the go-ahead run on base in the sixth inning, but third baseman Zach McKinstry struck out on a high fastball from reliever Erik Sabrowski before Sabrowski exited the game.
Right-hander Hunter Gaddis came into the game to face Javier Báez, who promptly hit a sharp single to extend the inning. Center fielder Parker Meadows flew out to end the inning, however, leaving the game tied.
Middle 5th: Tigers 1, Guardians 1
Guardians starter Tanner Bibee got the first two outs of the fifth inning, but allowed a two-out single to Kerry Carpenter and walked Spencer Torkelson before being yanked.
Bibee finishes with 4⅔ innings pitched, with one earned run and five hits plus six strikeouts. Lefty Erik Sabrowski came in to face Riley Greene, who flew out to end the inning.
End 4th: Tigers 1, Guardians 1
After just 62 pitches over 3 innings pitched, Mize has been taken out of the game. Lefty Tyler Holton is coming in, and now the bullpen matchup game begins.
With a runner on first, Holton got Kyle Manzardo to bounce into a double play and then got an inning-ending groundout from Bo Naylor. With so many lefties in the Cleveland lineup, Holton might be out for the fifth inning, too.
Mize’s final line: 3 IP, 1 ER, 1 H, 2 BB, 1 K on 62 pitches.
Middle 4th: Tigers 1, Guardians 1
Tigers left fielder Riley Greene hit a 3-2 changeup for a double to right field to put a runner on scoring position with one out for the Tigers. It’s the second extra-base hit from a Tigers hitter this series, both coming off doubles from Greene.
A Wenceel Pérez groundout advanced Greene to third base while Dillon Dingler walked to put runners on the corners and bring Zach McKinstry up to bat. McKinstry then worked a walk on a 3-2 curveball to load the bases, and shortstop Javier Báez rewarded the patience with a two-out, RBI single to give the Tigers a 2-1 lead.
Or so he thought.
The Guardians challenged the safe call on third baseman Zach McKinstry as he slid into third base on the hit, and while the review looked inconclusive, the umpires overturned the call. The out call also erased Dingler’s run, reverting the score from a 2-1 Tigers lead to a 1-1 tie.
End 3rd: Guardians 1, Tigers 0
Mize threw 47 pitches through the first two innings, allowing only one run but exerting a lot of effort in the process. The third inning proved easier, however, as he got quick outs from second baseman Brayan Rocchio and right fielder George Valera to get back on track.
The Tigers bats, which have only managed two hits so far, now look to support their pitcher.
End 2nd: Guardians 1, Tigers 0
Mize allowed a two-out walk to Chase DeLauter to mark the rookie’s first plate appearance, but got first baseman C.J. Kayfus to ground out to first baseman Spencer Torkelson to finish the inning.
End 1st: Guardians 1, Tigers 0
The Guardians’ lefty-heavy lineup is showing early returns.
Right fielder George Valera, who didn’t start in Game 1 against the lefty Tarik Skubal, hit a solo home run off of Mize in the bottom of the first to give the Guardians a 1-0 lead. It’s the rookie’s first career postseason home run.
A two-out Kyle Manzardo shot to center field was a few feet from going out, as well, but it fell into center fielder Parker Meadows’s glove for a loud third out.
Middle 1st: Tigers 0, Guardians 0
Tigers center fielder Parker Meadows led off with a single that was stopped by a diving Brayan Rocchio at second base. Second baseman Gleyber Torres then reached on an error by Guardians center fielder Chase DeLauter dropping an easy fly ball in center field. DeLauter is making his MLB debut today as the team’s No. 2 prospect.
With runners on first and second and no one out, designated hitter Kerry Carpenter struck out on a 3-2 curveball that dropped into the top of the zone and first baseman Spencer Torkelson struck out on a 2-2 cutter. Left fielder Riley Greene worked the count to 2-2, but struck out on a foul tip on a Bibee changeup to end the inning.
Tigers starter Casey Mize was eligible to make the 2024 Tigers playoff roster, and was added to the wild-card roster ahead of the team’s series win against the Houston Astros. But after not appearing in any games during that series, Mize was left off the ALDS roster for Detroit’s matchup against the Guardians, one they would lose in five games.
After an injury-plauged season in 2024, the former No. 1 overall pick bounced back in 2025, putting up a 14-6 record with 3.87 ERA over 149 innings and making his first All-Star team. Now he’s getting ready to pitch in the biggest game of his career so far.
If there’s one name in today’s Guardians lineup you may not recognize, it’s center fielder Chase DeLauter.
That’s because DeLauter is the organization’s No. 2 prospect according to MLB Pipeline (and the No. 54 prospect overall) and has yet to make his MLB debut. That will change today, as DeLauter gets his first career MLB start in what could be the most important game of the Guardians’ season.
An underappreciated factor of ace Tarik Skubal’s 7⅔ inning performance (and reliever Will Vest’s four-out save) against the Guardians in Game 1 is how it saved the Tigers bullpen for Game 2.
With Vest only throwing 15 pitches on Tuesday, it’s reasonable to assume the Tigers will have every member of their bullpen available for today’s game should Mize struggle out of the gate. The Guardians, meanwhile, used four pitchers in the loss on Tuesday, which means they might not have the same level of reinforcements for Bibee if needed.
Since this is a must-win game for the Guardians, however, Bibee might be on a short leash. If the Tigers can score multiple runs early off of Bibee, they might see that formidable Cleveland bullpen sooner than they would usually see it.
Tigers Game 2 starter Casey Mize has made three starts against the Guardians in 2025, posting a 1-0 record with a 2.08 ERA over 17⅓ innings. Here is how today’s Guardians lineup has hit against Mize in 2025.
LF Steven Kwan: 2-for-9.
RF George Valera: not faced.
3B José Ramírez: 3-for-8, BB, K.
DH Kyle Manzardo: 1-for-5, 3 Ks.
C Bo Naylor: 3-for-8, HR, 2 2B.
SS Gabriel Arias: 1-for-5, HR.
CF Chase DeLauter: not faced.
1B CJ Kayfus: 1-for-1.
2B Brayan Rocchio: 1-for-3, 2B.
Guardians Game 2 starter Tanner Bibee has made three starts against the Tigers in 2025, all resulting in wins, while putting upa 0.95 ERA in 19 innings. Here is how today’s lineup has hit against Bibee in 2025.
CF Parker Meadows: 1-for-9, 4 Ks.
2B Gleyber Torres: 1-for8, 1 BB, 3 Ks.
DH Kerry Carpenter: 1-for-9, 4 Ks.
1B Spencer Torkelson: 2-for-8, 2B, 2 Ks.
LF Riley Greene: 1-for-8, 1 BB, 3 Ks.
RF Wenceel Pérez: 1-for-5, 2 Ks.
C Dillon Dingler: 2-for-7, K.
3B Zach McKinstry: 0-for-7, K.
SS Javier Báez: 1-for-2.
If the Tigers advance today, they will play the Seattle Mariners in a best-of-five ALDS starting on Saturday, Oct. 4. But the start time for the first two games of that series will depend on the winner of the New York Yankees – Boston Red Sox wild-card series, which the Red Sox currently lead 1-0.
The Tigers’ lineup is unchanged from Game 1:
- 1. Parker Meadows, CF
- 2. Gleyber Torres, 2B
- 3. Kerry Carpenter, DH
- 4. Spencer Torkelson, 1B
- 5. Riley Greene, LF
- 6. Wenceel Pérez, RF
- 7. Dillon Dingler, C
- 8. Zach McKinstry, 3B
- 9. Javier Báez, SS
Guardians lineup today vs Tigers in Game 2
With Tigers right-handed pitcher Casey Mize on the mound today, the Guardians have made a few changes to their lineup from yesterday.
- 1. Steven Kwan, LF
- 2. George Valera, RF
- 3. José Ramírez, 3B
- 4. Kyle Manzardo, DH
- 5. Bo Naylor, C
- 6. Gabriel Arias, SS
- 7. Chase DeLauter, CF
- 8. CJ Kayfus, 1B
- 9. Brayan Rocchio, 2B
What time is Tigers vs Guardians Game 2 today?
The Tigers will continue their best-of-three wild-card series against the Guardians on Wednesday, with first pitch scheduled for 1:08 p.m. ET.
Date: Wednesday, Oct. 1.
Time: 1:08 p.m. ET.
Location: Progressive Field, Cleveland.
What channel is Tigers vs Guardians game today?
Game 2 of the Tigers-Guardians wild-card series will air on ESPN in the early slot of the day’s playoff action.
First pitch: 1:08 p.m. ET.
Channel: ESPN.
Streaming: Fubo.
Radio: WXYT-FM, 97.1.
Wednesday’s game can also be streamed on Fubo, which carries the ESPN platform of channels.
Tigers vs Guardians playoff schedule 2025
Best-of-three series; *if necessary
- Game 1: Tigers 2, Guardians 1.
- Game 2, Wednesday, Oct. 1: Tigers at Guardians, 1:08 p.m., ESPN.
- *Game 3, Thursday, Oct. 2: Tigers at Guardians, 1:08 p.m., ESPN.
Tigers vs Guardians betting odds for Game 2
Cleveland is a small favorite in Game 2.
Over/under: 6½ runs.
Moneyline: Tigers (+105), Guardians (-125).
All odds are courtesy of BetMGM as of Wednesday morning.
MLB wild-card series schedule 2025
Wednesday’s game schedule
AL: Tigers at Guardians, 1:08 p.m. ET (ESPN).
NL: San Diego Padres at Chicago Cubs, 3:08 p.m. ET (ABC).
AL: Boston Red Sox at New York Yankees, 6:08 p.m. ET (ESPN).
NL: Cincinnati Reds at Los Angeles Dodgers, 9:08 p.m. ET (ESPN).
Tigers vs Guardians playoff history
The Tigers and Guardians did not meet in the MLB playoffs in the first 123 years of their shared history as charter members of the American League.
The clubs will now meet for the second consecutive season in the playoffs.
Here are the results from the Tigers-Guardians playoff series in the 2024 ALDS:
- Game 1, Oct. 5: Guardians, 7, Tigers 0 in Cleveland.
- Game 2, Oct. 7: Tigers 3, Guardians 0 in Cleveland.
- Game 3, Oct. 9: Tigers 3, Guardians 0 in Detroit.
- Game 4, Oct. 10: Guardians 5, Tigers 4 in Detroit.
- Game 5, Oct. 12: Guardians 7, Tigers 3 in Cleveland.
You can reach Christian at cromo@freepress.com.
