Tigers Poised to Shatter Guardians’ Hopes: What This Season’s Final Showdown Really Means

Ever find yourself rooting for a team that stumbled so hard last season, you wonder if they even remember how to win? Welcome to the Tigers vs. Guardians showdown at 1:00 ET—a classic underdog remix that’s got me reflecting on one thing: would you rather clench a playoff series or boast about snagging your division? The Tigers, fresh off a gritty Game 1 win behind Tarik Skubal’s near-flawless pitching, aim to shake off last season’s heartbreak and close this out with Casey Mize on the mound—a guy who’s been both a thriller and a headache on the road. Meanwhile, the Guardians, those surprise AL Central stealers, are hanging onto hope like it’s Vegas odds, with Tanner Bibee tasked with the near-impossible: dispatch the Tigers three times in a row. But let’s be honest—do either team have the firepower to make a real championship run? I’m betting on the Tigers to stiff-arm Bibee’s streak and nail down the series, because in baseball, sometimes it’s not about how you start, but how you finish… and boy, this finish promises fireworks. LEARN MORE

Tigers vs. Guardians, 1:00 ET

Well, my season of 1-1 continued, but instead of being juiced out, I was able to win the plus money play. I lost the over bet on the Cubs and Padres as they combined to score just four points. Nick Pivetta put together a gem but gave up back-to-back homers, and Matthew Boyd only allowed one run. The game I won was between the Red Sox and the Yankees as the Red Sox jumped up to a one-game lead behind Garrett Crochet. Today we go over to the American League Central battle as the Tigers take on the Guardians.

The Tigers won Game 1, which, honestly, wasn’t much of a surprise. They had the likely Cy Young winner, Tarik Skubal, on the hill, which gives them a chance to win any game. It was a low-scoring affair, and Skubal went almost eight innings for Detroit. It wasn’t like the Tigers were mashing the ball against Cleveland, though, as they mustered just two runs. They only had five hits for the game, which was one more than the Guardians. Now they have a chance to close out the series, and put behind the stink of losing the division to their rivals. In order to do that, the Tigers send out Casey Mize to the mound. I’ve personally liked Mize quite a bit this year. He comes into the game with a 14-6 record, 3.87 ERA, and a 1.27 WHIP. He has struggled on the road this season, with four of his six losses and a 4.04 ERA. He has been good against the Guardians this season, though, allowing just four earned runs over 17.1 innings spanning three starts. His lone road start in Cleveland was his best against them, going seven scoreless innings.

The Guardians have their backs against the wall, but considering they really weren’t expected to be here, I suppose this is like playing with house money. The Guardians stole the AL Central division from the Tigers, who had a substantially larger lead than a one-game lead. The Guardians were one of the hottest teams in baseball in the second half, but a three-game series is never one you can be too comfortable in. Yesterday had to feel a bit like they let the game slip away from them. For example, the team didn’t give up an earned run. The first run to the Tigers was an unearned one after an error in right field. Another error allowed the Tigers to get runners on first and third with no one out. A sacrifice squeeze gave the Tigers the lead that they wouldn’t relinquish. Today, the Guardians have Tanner Bibee on the hill. Bibee was just 12-11 for the season with a 4.24 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP. He has been better at home than he has been on the road with a 3.22 ERA. He was, however, phenomenal against the Tigers this season, holding them to just two runs in 19 innings. The 0.95 ERA was his lowest against any team this year. The only caution I have is that his past two starts have been against the Tigers. He won both going six innings and allowing one earned run. I’m a little concerned about him trying to beat a team three times in a row.

The Tigers had an epic collapse, but I’m not really sure that they care as long as they win this series. In the grand scheme of things, would you rather win a playoff series or win your division? I’ll also admit that I don’t think either of these teams are actually contenders for the championship. I think both of them are going to be eliminated here because I don’t think their offenses are going carry them far enough. I’m going to back the Tigers to close out this series. I think that Bibee is not going to be able to get three straight great starts against the Tigers.

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