Guardians Even AL Wild Card Series Against Tigers

Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images

October 1, 2025

Guardians 6, Tigers 1

The Cleveland Guardians staved off elimination by defeating the Detroit Tigers 6–1 on Wednesday. The Guardians forced a game three on Thursday thanks to a strong performance from their bullpen and a five-run eighth inning.

What Went Right for the Guardians

Clutch Offense

With the game entering the eighth inning tied at one, the Guardians needed a run to keep their season alive. They got that and more.

Brayan Rocchio hit a go-ahead solo homer. Steven Kwan and Daniel Schneemann hit back-to-back doubles to add a key insurance run. After Jose Ramirez was intentionally walked, Bo Naylor broke it open by golfing a hanging sweeper into the right field seats to make it 6-1.

“Our guys jumped on Melton pretty well and Bo with such an unbelievable bat off Hurter,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. “For our guys to explode and get separation felt good.”

Strong Pitching Performance

Everyone who stepped on the mound for the Guardians turned in a strong performance. Starter Tanner Bibee went 4 2/3 and gave up one run. After that, the quintet of Erik Sabrowski, Hunter Gaddis, Tim Herrin, Jakob Junis and Cade Smith pitched 4 1/3 scoreless innings.

“All those guys are unbelievable, especially the last month,” Bibee said. “It’s fun to see.”

The Guardians offense finished third-to-last in the league in runs scored. For them to win Thursday and in the rest of the playoffs, they’ll need the pitching staff to be at its best.

What Went Wrong for the Guardians

Quiet Offense

The Guardians couldn’t get into an offensive rhythm in Game One, and it carried over for most of Game Two.

George Valera‘s solo shot in the first inning gave the Guardians an early lead. However, that was the closest they would get to scoring for the next couple hours. The Guardians didn’t get a runner into scoring position until the eighth and struggled to make contact against the Tigers’ pitching staff. With the Tigers routinely getting runners into scoring position, the tension inside Progressive Field was apparent.

“For us, it was a frustrating day offensively for us,” Vogt said.

What Went Right for the Tigers

Made Cade Smith Work

In the ninth inning, the Guardians chose to stick with Smith after he finished the eighth despite the five-run lead. While the Tigers didn’t score, they did make him throw 31 pitches —many of which were high-stress — on his second straight appearance. It could make Smith unavailable for Game Three on Thursday, as he’s thrown 50 pitches over the last two days.

“When they hit the homer and Cade goes back out, you’re trying to do two things: Make him work as hard as he can and chip away and try to get back in that game,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “Maybe bring the tying run to the plate and crazy things happen in October.”

What Went Wrong for the Tigers

More Missed Opportunities

After struggling with runners in scoring position in Game One, the Tigers were even worse in Game Two. They went 1-for-15 with runners in scoring position, leaving a franchise-record 15 runners on base.

Javier Baez had the Tigers’ lone hit with runners in scoring position, initially scoring two runs. However, upon review Zach McKinstry was thrown out trying to go first to third and Dillon Dingler had yet to cross the plate when the tag was applied, so the run came off the board and ended the inning.

“We’d been aggressive all season,” Hinch said. “I don’t mind that at all.”

Bullpen Implosion

As the Tigers blew a 10 1/2 game lead in the division in September, their bullpen struggled mightily. The relievers had a 4.58 ERA and blew four saves in the final month, per Fangraphs. Troy Melton was charged with four earned runs and Brant Hurter gave up one Wednesday.

Many teams in recent years have won on the strength of their bullpen. The Tigers will need more from their relief corps in order to win Game Three and beyond.

Quick Hits

Guardians No. 2 prospect Chase DeLauter made his major league debut Wednesday, becoming the sixth player to make his debut in the postseason. He went 0-for-2 with a walk.