The Tigers win Game 3, extending the Guardians' scoreless streak to 20 innings

DETROIT – Riley Greene and Spencer Torkelson each drove in a run and six pitchers combined to give the Detroit Tigers a 3-0 victory over the Cleveland Guardians and a 2-1 lead in their American League Division Series on Wednesday.

The Tigers, the hottest team in baseball over the past two months, will have their first chance to advance to the playoffs since 2013 in Game 4 at Comerica Park on Thursday night.

“We are human beings,” Torkelson said. “We know how close we are.”

Cleveland has gone 20 straight scoreless innings since the series began, with a five-run first and a two-run sixth in a 7-0 win.

“Short sample size, obviously it's a lot bigger in the playoffs,” David Fry said after going 0-for-3 with two strikeouts, helping the team have eight runners on base. “I think the guys hit the balls hard. The balls don’t really fall.”

After AL Cy Young Award favorite Tarik Skubal helped Detroit knock off Cleveland in Game 2, manager AJ Hinch put a stream of pitchers on the mound and kept the Guardians calm on the field.

Detroit reliever Will Vest entered the game with two ons and two outs in the seventh, getting David Fry to face Matt Vierling at third.

“He really likes to pull the ball, so I was prepared for whatever came my way,” Vierling said. “I didn't have time to think. I just had to react.”

Fans were ecstatic throughout the day, chanting “Let's go Tigers!” before Detroit's first playoff pitch since 2014, and 44,885 spectators were in the stands, the largest crowd in Comerica Park's 25-year history.

“This is a huge victory for us, just seeing the stadium and the whole city get to the first playoff game in a decade,” Vierling said.

Right-hander Keider Montero retired in the first half, and the previously struggling Greene hit a two-out RBI single in the home half.

Brant Hurter allowed five hits in 3⅓ innings. Beau Brieske pitched two innings and Sean Guenther struck out one. Vest pitched 1⅓ innings before Tyler Holton pitched the ninth.

“Nothing that happened surprised us,” Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said. “We were prepared for anything.”

It is the first time Detroit has recorded two shutouts in a postseason series. It is also the first time since the 1905 World Series that the first three games of a postseason series were all shutouts.

The Guardians had a chance to score in the third period. Steven Kwan reached on a one-out infield single and advanced on a throwing error by shortstop Tyler Sweeney. Jose Ramirez was intentionally hit with two outs, but Josh Naylor got an inning-ending groundout.

The Tigers took a 2-0 lead in the third after No. 9 batter Jake Rogers led off with a double, advanced to third base on Parker Meadows' grounder and scored on Vierling's sacrifice fly.

Cleveland's pitchers did enough to keep the AL Central champions in the game, but the lack of offense rendered the matter moot.

The Guardians went 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position.

“I think we did a great job setting the table,” Vogt said. “We just didn’t manage to have a big hit.”

The Guardians gave right-back Alex Cobb the start in his first appearance since September 1st. He allowed two runs and three hits in three innings.

Eli Morgan gave up Torkelson's RBI double in the sixth. The slugger had gone 0-for-14 with nine strikeouts in the postseason.

“In the playoffs you don’t get caught up in numbers, you just try to win and we can do that,” Torkelson said. “It felt pretty good getting through there.”

NEXT

Cleveland right-hander Tanner Bibee is scheduled to start Game 4. Detroit will likely wait until Thursday to announce who will open on the mound as the first of at least a handful of pitchers it plans to play.