CLEVELAND – The Detroit Tigers survived the drama of the Wild Card Series and secured their return to the American League Division Series (ALDS) after defeating the Cleveland Guardians 6-3 in the decisive Game 3 played at Progressive Field.
You may be interested in:
The unexpected hero was Dillon Dingler, who broke the tie with a home run in the sixth inning, his first postseason home run. Shortly after, a double by the Puerto Rican Javier Báez opened the door for a four-run rally in the seventh inning, enough for Detroit to leave behind weeks of uncertainty and complete the qualification.
The feline offensive punished Cleveland’s bullpen with key hits from Wenceel Pérez, Spencer Torkelson, and Riley Greene, while Báez also shone defensively with a spectacular catch and a smart bunt in the eighth inning that cut short a comeback attempt by José Ramírez.
With this victory, Detroit advances to face the Seattle Mariners in the ALDS, a series that will begin this Saturday at T-Mobile Park. It will be the first time both clubs face each other in the postseason.
The Tigers’ path to this point was not easy: after losing steam in September and falling to the last Wild Card spot, they had to visit the Guardians again, a team that had dominated them at the end of the regular season. However, with character and opportunism, Detroit found the formula to prevail at the most important moment.
Now, those led by A.J. Hinch will seek to extend their history in October against a Mariners team that arrives at the series with the offensive power of Cal Raleigh and one of the deepest rotations in the American League.
