CLEVELAND, Ohio — For the third time in the last three weeks the Guardians and Tigers are scheduled to play an important three-game series against each other. But this time a trip to the American League Division Series is at stake since both teams have qualified for the postseason.
Where: Progressive Field, Tuesday through Thursday, if necessary.
TV/radio: ESPN, WTAM 1100, WMMS 100.7 FM, WARF and the Guardians radio network will carry the series.
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Series: The Guardians won the season series against the Tigers, 8-5. The Tigers lead overall, 1,164-1,163.
Game 1: RHP Gavin Williams (12-5, 3.06) vs. LHP Tarik Skubal (13-6, 2.21) Tuesday at 1:08 p.m.
This will be the third time in two weeks that Williams has faced the Tigers. He’s 2-0 with a 1.64 ERA (two runs in 11 innings) 21 strikeouts and four walks. The Guardians are 5-0 in his last five starts.
This will be the third time in two weeks Skubal has faced the Guardians. Skubal, a candidate to repeat as the AL Cy Young winner, is 0-1 with a 1.50 ERA (two earned runs in 12 innings) with eight strikeouts and five walks in those two starts.
Game 2: RHP Tanner Bibee (12-11, 4.24) vs. TBD Wednesday at 1:08 p.m.
Bibee will be facing Detroit for the third time in his last three starts. In the first two, Bibee went 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA (two earned runs in 12 innings) with 13 strikeouts and four walks. Bibee is 3-0 with a 0.95 ERA in three starts against Detroit this year.
Game 3: RHP Slade Cecconi (7-7, 4.30) vs. TBD Thursday at 1:08 p.m., if necessary.
Cecconi has faced the Tigers twice this year, both starts coming before the All-Star break. He went 1-1 with a 2.25 ERA (three earned runs in 12 innings). Cecconi struck out 11, walked four and allowed 11 hits.
Trending
The Guardians (88-74) have outscored the Tigers (87-75), 46-31, in 13 games this season.
The Guardians overcame Detroit’s 15 1/2 games lead in the AL Central in early July to win the division on the final game of the season. It is the biggest comeback in MLB history.
The Tigers finished the regular season with a +67 run differential. The Guardians finished with a -6 run differential. They are the only postseason team to do so.
The Guardians are 5-1 in their last six games against the Tigers.
The Guardians are 7-3 in their last 10 games and 16-4 in their last 20.
The Tigers are 2-8 in their last 10 and 6-14 in the last 20.
Offense
Guardians: Jose Ramirez .347 (17 for 49) with two homers and 10 RBI; Angel Martinez .282 (11 for 39) with one homer and seven RBI and Steven Kwan .308 (16 for 52) with five RBI have hit the Tigers well this year.
The Tigers have done a good job against Kyle Manzardo, who is hitting .182 (8 for 44) with one RBI against them this year. Manzardo is second on the Guardians in homers and RBI.
Tigers: Javy Baez .320 (8 for 25) and Spencer Torkelson .245 (17 for 48) with three homers and four RBI have hit the Guardians well this year.
Riley Greene, AL MVP candidate, leads the Tigers with 36 homers and 111 RBI, but he’s hitting only .136 (6 for 49) with three homers and four RBI against the Guardians this year.
They said it
RHP Gavin Williams: “I know what they’ve got, they know what I’ve got. There is really no advantages or disadvantages. We play them so many times throughout the whole year.”
LHP Tarik Skubal: “I enjoy pitching here. The environment’s great. You talk about postseason baseball and the noise and kind of the chaos and then the rowdiness. I think this place kind of embodies all of that, so I enjoy playing here.”
Manager Stephen Vogt: “I’m just so proud of them. They’ve been punched and kicked and beaten down, and they’ve just gotten closer. So, you can call it magic. You can call it whatever we want. If anybody figures it out, let me know.”
Manager A.J. Hinch: “They are relentless coming at you with small ball. It feels like every time that a big spot comes up, they get to insert José Ramirez into that spot no matter where we are in the order because he seems to come up with guys on base all the time.