The Detroit Tigers and the Cleveland Guardians kick off their 2025 AL Wild Card series with Game 1 at Progressive Field this afternoon.
It’s already their seventh meeting this month — and what a month it has been for the Guardians. Cleveland climbed back from 15.5 games behind to win the division on the final day of the season, thanks in part to taking five of six from Detroit in September.
Two of those Cleveland wins this month came against today’s Tigers starter, Tarik Skubal, a leading candidate for the AL Cy Young Award. Skubal finished the regular season 13-6 with a 2.21 ERA and 241 strikeouts.
He was 0-1 in those two late-season starts against Detroit, allowing one earned run in both outings, each of which lasted six innings.
The Guardians won those games by an average margin of 2.5 runs. Offense wasn’t the difference — Cleveland averaged 4.3 runs per game against Detroit in September, while Detroit managed just 2.2. The Guardians’ edge was pitching, and no staff was better in the final month, posting a 2.61 ERA and five shutouts in September.
One of the standouts was today’s starter, Gavin Williams, who closed the season 12-5 with a 3.06 ERA. In September, he went 3-0 with a 1.88 ERA, including two wins against Detroit. Though he didn’t work deep — averaging 5.5 innings per start against the Tigers — he was sharp, allowing just two runs across those games. He also blanked Detroit earlier this season with six scoreless, one-hit innings.
Prediction
The margin for error this afternoon is slim. Expect another tight, low-scoring battle, with Cleveland prevailing.
Prediction: Guardians 3, Tigers 2
Starting Lineups
Detroit Tigers
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. Zack McKinstry — 3B
9. Javier Baez — SS
Starting Pitcher: Tarik Skubal (LHP) — 13-6, 2.21 ERA (2025 Regular Season)
Cleveland Guardians
1. Steven Kwan — LF
2. Angel Martinez — CF
3. José Ramírez — 3B
4. Johnathan Rodríguez — RF
5. Kyle Manzardo — DH
6. Gabriel Arias — SS
7. Brayan Rocchio — 2B
8. Jhonkensy Noel — 1B
9. Austin Hedges — C
Starting Pitcher: Gavin Williams (RHP) — 12-5, 3.06 ERA (2025 Regular Season)
How to Watch Tigers vs. Guardians
First pitch for this afternoon’s game between the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Guardians is set for 1:08 PM Eastern at Progressive Field in Cleveland.
The game airs live on ESPN and streams on the ESPN app and website.
If you’re a cord-cutter without an active livestreaming plan, you can watch the game for free by taking advantage of free trials from DIRECTV Stream, Hulu + Live TV, Fubo TV, or YouTube TV.
YouTube TV even offers a 20-minute free preview, without having to register for a trial — if you just want to catch part of the game.
Detroit Tigers vs. Cleveland Guardians
Date: Wednesday, September 30, 2025
First Pitch: 1:08 PM Eastern
Venue: Progressive Field, Cleveland, OH
TV: ESPN
Streaming: ESPN app and website
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