CLEVELAND — For the second straight postseason, the American League Central champion Cleveland Guardians will take on the Detroit Tigers.
The Guardians (88-74) finished one game ahead of the Tigers (87-75) in the division, giving them the right to host the entire best-of-three AL wild-card series. Game 1 is Tuesday afternoon.
Cleveland right-hander Gavin Williams (12-5, 3.06 ERA) takes on Detroit left-hander Tarik Skubal (13-6, 2.21) in a rematch from Sept. 23 at the same ballpark.
The teams met 13 times in the regular season with the Guardians winning eight, including five of their six contests over the final two weeks of the regular season when they overtook the Tigers for the division crown.
“I know what they’ve got and they know what I’ve got, so there is no advantage,” Williams said. “But I am kind of starstruck a little bit because I didn’t find out I was getting the ball until (2 p.m. Monday).
“To start a playoff game is phenomenal and to know the team trusts me to pitch Game 1 is incredible.”
Cleveland swept a three-game series in Detroit from Sept. 16-18, then took two of three at home from Sept. 23-25. The latter set included Williams outdueling Skubal in a contest best remembered for David Fry being hit in the face by a Skubal pitch and sustaining facial and nasal fractures.
The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner was driven to the hospital by Guardians manager Stephen Vogt to visit Fry later that night, illustrating the mutual respect the rivals have for one another.
“I’m very thankful to ‘Vogter’ for allowing me to reach out and express how sorry I was to Fry in person,” Skubal said. “(Vogt) is awesome. I like the way he manages and he’s a really, really good dude. I’ve got a lot of respect for him.”
Skubal started twice against Cleveland in the 2024 AL Division Series, going 0-1 with a 3.46 ERA and losing the decisive fifth game. The two-time All-Star is 3-3 with a 2.33 ERA over 69 2/3 innings against the Guardians in 12 regular-season games.
In nine total outings at Cleveland, Skubal has a 2-3 record with 58 strikeouts over 50 1/3 innings.
“I enjoy pitching here, the environment is great,” Skubal said. “The chaos and the noise of the playoffs, this place embodies that. Moments like this are why you play the game.”
Williams made only one appearance during the Guardians’ journey to last year’s AL Championship Series, giving up three runs in 2 1/3 innings in a no-decision against the New York Yankees.
Cleveland’s new ace has a 3-2 career record against Detroit with a 1.88 ERA in seven starts, striking out 55 over 38 1/3 innings.
“I was lucky last year just to be on the playoff roster, honestly,” Williams said. “But that experience made me want to become a better pitcher this season, and it has.”
Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said he was still debating whether to start Jack Flaherty or fellow right-hander Casey Mize in the second game, but Vogt announced his starters for the entire series. Tanner Bibee will work Game 2 and fellow righty Slade Cecconi would be on the hill for Game 3.
Both skippers have until three hours before the first pitch to set their 26-man roster. Hinch revealed that all of the position players who finished the regular season will be retained, leaving four pitchers to be deactivated.
Cleveland’s most interesting decision is whether to promote top prospect Chase DeLauter to the majors for the first time. The outfielder joined the club for its Monday workout, along with minor league catcher Dom Nunez.
“Everything is on the table,” Vogt said. “We’re going through a lot of possibilities with this being a short series and only needing three starting pitchers.”
–Brian Dulik, Field Level Media