The Seattle Mariners and Detroit Tigers face off Tuesday afternoon in Game 3 of the American League Division Series, with the series tied 1-1 and both teams eyeing a chance to move within one win of the AL Championship Series.
The game begins at 1:08 p.m. at Comerica Park, marking Detroit’s first home game in more than two weeks.
Seattle fans not traveling to Detroit can still go to T-Mobile Park Tuesday and Wednesday to watch the game with other fans on the big screen. Gates open at Noon on Tuesday and tickets are available at mariners.com/watchparty.
The Tigers last played in front of their fans on Sept. 21, when they lost their seventh straight home game and saw their AL Central lead evaporate in what became one of the biggest collapses in recent memory.
“We had to earn it,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said Monday. “It took a lot to get back home.”
After clinching a Wild Card series win over Cleveland on the road, Detroit traveled directly to Seattle for the start of the ALDS.
The Tigers took the opener 3-2 in 11 innings before dropping Game 2 by the same score Sunday night against Mariners ace Tarik Skubal.
Now, the series shifts to Detroit, where the Tigers will send right-hander Jack Flaherty (8-15, 4.64 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 188 strikeouts) to the mound.
Flaherty said the long road stretch has brought the team closer together.
“It’s been a long time since we’ve been home,” he said. “But at the same time, it’s been a fun kind of bonding experience with these guys. We’ve spent a lot of time with each other, a lot of time on the road.”
The Mariners will counter with Logan Gilbert (6-6, 3.44 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 173 strikeouts), making his first start since Sept. 27.
Gilbert’s mix of command and strikeout stuff could pose a challenge for a Tigers offense that has struggled to make contact this postseason.
“When he’s on, he has swing-and-miss stuff,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said. “Having that strikeout ability, especially in the postseason, is really a plus.”
Detroit enters Tuesday’s game batting just .186 in the playoffs, with a .545 OPS and 59 strikeouts—nearly 12 per game, the highest total among postseason teams.
Hinch said the team needs better discipline at the plate.
“We’ve got to pick better pitches to hit,” he said.
Aside from a four-run inning that lifted them over Cleveland in the Wild Card round, Detroit has scored just 10 runs in its other 46 postseason innings.
Seattle (90-72) finished first in the AL West and has been strong in games where their pitching limits home runs, going 36-16 when not allowing one.
The Mariners have a 5-3 edge over Detroit in the season series.
Manager Dan Wilson gave his players a light workout at Comerica Park on Monday, with the team running, throwing, and hitting to stay loose after a long flight from Seattle.
“Everybody did enjoy their rest and a chance to kind of keep the body on a low simmer,” Wilson said. “It was a chance for us to get out here and work out. I thought it was important to get some juice flowing here a little bit and get used to the ballpark again.”
According to Wilson, Josh Naylor is dealing with a personal matter, and did not travel with the team to Detroit on Monday. He has apparently rejoined the team and is in the lineup for Tuesday.
Cal Raleigh leads the Mariners with 24 doubles and 60 home runs while hitting .247, and Jorge Polanco has gone 10 for 36 with four home runs in his last 10 games.
Seattle’s pitching and defense have been consistent, with the team outscoring opponents by 10 runs over its past 10 games while posting a 3.13 ERA and a .235 batting average.
Detroit’s injury list remains long, including Matt Vierling (oblique), Reese Olson (shoulder), and Alex Cobb (hip), among others.
Seattle has Bryan Woo day-to-day with a pectoral issue and several long-term injuries, including Trent Thornton (Achilles) and Gregory Santos (knee).
According to BetMGM, the Mariners enter as -131 favorites with the Tigers listed at +110 underdogs. The over/under for Game 3 is 7.5 runs.
In their last 10 games, the Tigers are 5-5 with a .209 batting average and 2.79 ERA, while the Mariners are 6-4 with a .235 batting average and a 3.13 ERA.
Game 3 will decide which team takes the upper hand in a best-of-five series.