Tigers vs. Guardians — AL Wild Card Game 2 Recap
CLEVELAND — The Tigers vs Guardians AL Wild Card Game 2 Recap reads like a missed opportunity for Detroit. The Tigers had every chance to put Cleveland away and move on to the Division Series. Instead, their bats stayed ice cold in clutch spots, and a controversial replay call helped swing momentum the other way. The Tigers fell 6–1 in Game 2, evening the series at 1–1 and forcing a decisive Game 3 on Thursday.
A chance to seize control of the series
The Tigers had a golden opportunity to extend their postseason and prepare for the Mariners. Instead, they will need to pull off a tough victory in hostile Progressive Field.
What we saw Wednesday afternoon was a continuation of the Tigers’ second-half struggles at the plate: strikeouts, missed opportunities, and a lineup that seemed lost with men in scoring position. The Guardians, who finished the regular season as one of the hottest teams in baseball, relied on their bullpen and clutch power to even the series.
Early breaks, no payoff
Detroit caught an early break in the 1st when Chase DeLauter, Cleveland’s rookie center fielder making his postseason debut, dropped a routine fly ball in the sun. With runners aboard, the Tigers had a chance to set the tone.
Instead, it was more of the same: three straight strikeouts — Carpenter, Torkelson, Greene — killed the rally.
In the bottom half, the Guardians wasted no time. George Valera worked a full count against Casey Mize and then punished a center-cut fastball, blasting it into the right-field seats. The home crowd erupted, and Cleveland led 1–0.
Mize’s short leash
Mize’s outing was a reflection of his season: flashes of promise, but command issues and inefficiency. The former No. 1 overall pick was making just his second postseason appearance after a career slowed by injuries. He showed decent life on his fastball, but Cleveland worked him into deep counts.
By the 4th inning, Mize’s pitch count was already at 62. After issuing a walk to Jose Ramirez, Manager A.J. Hinch pulled him, a move that raised eyebrows. On paper, it made sense: Mize hadn’t been sharp, and the Guardians’ hitters were getting comfortable. Still, with Detroit’s bullpen thin and Mize’s stuff still playing, many fans wondered if he had more in the tank.
Reliever Tyler Holton came on and did his job, inducing a double play and then a groundout to get out of the inning. But it was another example of how tightly Hinch has managed Mize this year — rarely letting him work deep.
Báez ties it — and the controversial overturn
In the 4th, the Tigers finally broke through. Javier Báez, who has struggled for most of the 2nd half of the season, came up with two on and two out. He laced a single up the middle, scoring Riley Greene and tying the game 1–1.
It should have been more. Zach McKinstry was initially ruled safe at third, which would have counted Dillon Dingler’s run and given Detroit a 2–1 lead. But after review in New York, the call was overturned — McKinstry out at third before Dingler crossed home plate. The run came off the board.
The replays didn’t feel conclusive. Without an overhead angle, it was impossible to know if McKinstry’s right hand grazed the bag before the tag. Fans and broadcasters alike questioned the decision, calling it the kind of razor-thin overturn that changes an entire series. To make matters worse, Dingler was jogging and spectating, instead of sprinting, and didn’t cross home before the tag. Instead of 2–1 Detroit, it remained 1–1.
Cleveland’s crowd roared as DeLauter, the rookie who dropped a ball in the 1st, redeemed himself with the assist. The game had swung on a single replay call.
The 7th-inning heartbreak
Detroit’s golden chance came in the 7th. Glaber Torres was hit by a pitch, and Kerry Carpenter followed with his second hit of the game, a single to right, putting runners on the corners with nobody out.
This was the moment. A chance to take the lead, silence the crowd, and flip the series back in Detroit’s favor.
Instead:
- Spencer Torkelson popped out softly to shallow left — not nearly deep enough to score Torres.
- Hinch pinch-hit Jahmai Jones for Riley Greene, who has hit just .219 against lefties this season. The decision made sense analytically, but it was a gut punch to see your supposed star and RBI leader pulled in the biggest at-bat of the season. Jones struck out.
- Wenceel Pérez struck out to end it.
Three outs, no runs. From 1st and 3rd, no outs, to nothing.
It wasn’t just a missed opportunity — it was a perfect microcosm of the Tigers’ frustrating second half, where rallies died, strikeouts piled up, and fans were left shaking their heads.
It also leaves questions: did Greene push to stay in? Did Hinch trust Jones more in that moment? We may never know, but the optics of a pinch-hitter striking out while Greene sat in the dugout will linger.
Guardians slam the door
Cleveland sensed the opening, and in the 8th they slammed it shut. Against rookie Troy Melton, the Guardians went to work:
- Brayan Rocchio blasted a go-ahead solo homer.
- Daniel Schneemann doubled in another run.
- Bo Naylor launched a three-run homer into the night.
In the span of minutes, a tense 1–1 game became 6–1 Cleveland. It was too much for Detroit to overcome.
In the 9th, the Tigers again had runners on base, but Dingler lined out to first baseman C.J. Kayfus to end it.
Final thoughts
You can question plenty from this one:
- McKinstry stretching for third. He gambled on a rookie outfielder, and it took a perfect throw. He got it.
- Pulling Mize at 62 pitches. Was it too soon? Maybe. But Hinch didn’t want him facing the order again.
- Pinch-hitting Jones for Greene. Defensible by the numbers, but optics matter. When your star doesn’t get the at-bat, it says something.
- Handing the 8th to rookie Troy Melton. A tough ask in a playoff game, and it backfired.
But at the end of the day, none of those decisions outweigh the bigger issue: Detroit couldn’t hit.
- They outhit Cleveland 7–6.
- They left 15 runners on base.
- They went 1-for-15 with RISP.
- They struck out 11 times.
Javier Báez (2-for-4, RBI) and Kerry Carpenter (2-for-4) were the only Tigers with multiple hits. Beyond them, the lineup was lifeless.
Unless something changes overnight, this season will end tomorrow. The second half hasn’t offered much hope that the bats will suddenly wake up. If it does end, bigger questions await: Will Tarik Skubal still be in Detroit next season, or will the front office cash him in for prospects? Can Riley Greene grow into the player the Tigers need him to be? And how will the front office view Hinch’s handling of the team down the stretch? I’m not saying he’s on thin ice, but it’s fair to question some of his moves. That’s what makes being a fan interesting. Hinch knows his team, but as fans, we sometimes think we know them better.
Still, baseball is a funny game. When you think you’re down, sometimes you get off the mat. If the Tigers can find a way in Game 3, they’ll head to Seattle and extend the ride — with Skubal potentially pitching twice in a five-game series. That thought keeps hope alive. But for now, it’s hard to shake the feeling that Detroit let its best chance slip away.
Feature Image Credit: Stefan Knaack, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
