Detroit Tigers Snatch Game 1 Behind Tarik Skubal’s Masterpiece

The Detroit Tigers, a team that practically crawled into the postseason after a September collapse for the ages, walked into Progressive Field and stole Game 1 of the AL Wild Card Series, 2-1, right from under the Guardians’ noses. And they did it on the back of one man: Tarik Skubal.

He was simply electric. He wasn’t just pitching; he was painting a work of art with a 98-mph fastball and a slider that was just plain disrespectful. Skubal went 7.2 innings and shoved, racking up a postseason franchise-record-tying 14 strikeouts. He looked less like a pitcher and more like a video game character on rookie mode.

After a shaky fourth inning where Cleveland scratched across their only run on a walk and a couple of bloop singles, Skubal just flipped a switch. He proceeded to fan eight of the next eleven batters he faced, leaving the Guardians hitters looking completely lost, like tourists without a map.

Guardians’ Comedy Of Errors

The @Tigers are ONE WIN AWAY from the ALDS! #Postseason pic.twitter.com/VAFm3uZoHC

— MLB (@MLB) September 30, 2025

Let’s be honest, though. While Skubal was the hero, the Guardians were their own worst enemy. Cleveland’s defense decided that fielding a baseball was optional. In the first inning, a routine play turned into a gift-wrapped run for Kerry Carpenter. But the real “you’ve got to be kidding me” moment came in the seventh. With Riley Greene on second, a routine grounder to First Baseman Jhonkensy Noel turned into a debacle. Noel, in a moment he’ll want to forget, completely whiffed on the play, allowing Wenceel Perez to reach safely. A simple sacrifice bunt later, and the Tigers had the lead for good.

The Guardians’ offense wasn’t much better. Johnathan Rodríguez and the aforementioned Noel were a black hole in the lineup, going a combined 0-for-6 with five strikeouts. You can’t win playoff games when key bats go that cold. Poor Gavin Williams pitched his heart out, striking out eight and allowing zero earned runs, only to watch his defense betray him. It is the kind of performance that deserves a win, but baseball can be a cruel, cruel game.

What’s Next For the Detroit Tigers?

After Skubal’s herculean effort, Will Vest came in and, despite some ninth-inning drama with José Ramírez reaching third, slammed the door shut. So, the Detroit Tigers, the team everyone wrote off after they nearly gave away a 15.5-game lead, are now in the driver’s seat. The Tigers will hand the ball to Casey Mize tomorrow against Tanner Bibee, looking to deliver a knockout blow. For Cleveland, it’s a gut-punch of a loss.

They have to regroup and pray their bats and gloves decide to show up for Game 2. Otherwise, their season, which looked so promising just weeks ago, will come to a screeching, embarrassing halt.