Riley Greene and Spencer Torkelson each drove in a run, while six pitchers teamed up to lead the Detroit Tigers to a 3-0 victory over the Cleveland Guardians on Wednesday, giving them a 2-1 advantage in the AL Division Series.
The Tigers, who have been the best team in baseball for the past two months, will have their first chance to reach the American League Championship Series since 2013 on Thursday night in Game 4 at Comerica Park.
“We’re human,” Torkelson said. “We know how close we are.”
Cleveland has not scored in 20 consecutive innings since they began the series with a five-run first inning and a two-run sixth inning in their 7-0 win. Steven Kwan had three of the Guardians’ six hits in Game 3.
“Short sample size, obviously in the playoffs it’s a lot more magnified,” David Fry said after going 0 for 3 with two strikeouts, contributing to the team’s eight runners left on base. “I think guys have hit balls hard. Balls aren’t really falling.”
After AL Cy Young Award candidate Tarik Skubal helped shut out Cleveland in Game 2, manager A.J. Hinch sent several pitchers to the mound, keeping the Guardians quiet at the plate.
Detroit reliever Will Vest came in with two runners on and two outs in the seventh, and Fry hit a line drive to a leaping Matt Vierling at third base.
“He likes to pull the ball a lot, so I was ready for anything that came my way,” Vierling said. “I didn’t have time to think. I just had to react.”
Fans were excited all day, chanting “Let’s go Tigers!” before the first playoff game in Detroit since 2014. A record 44,885 people attended, making it the largest crowd in Comerica Park’s 25-year history.
“This is a huge victory for us, just to see the stadium and the whole city come out for the first playoff game in a decade,” Vierling said.
Right-hander Keider Montero retired the side in order in the first inning, and Greene, who had been struggling, hit a two-out RBI single in the bottom half.
Brant Hurter allowed five hits in 3 1/3 innings. Beau Brieske pitched two innings, and Sean Guenther got one out. Vest threw 1 1/3 innings before Tyler Holton finished the ninth.
