It all comes down to this. With Tuesday’s victory over the Tigers, the Guardians’ impossible comeback is complete. Once down 15 1/2 games in the American League Central, Cleveland is now tied with Detroit for the top spot in the division with five games to go. As the owners of the tiebreaker, the Guardians now control their own fate with five games remaining. This game will have a playoff atmosphere as the two squads try to claim dominion over the Central.
The Guardians come in as -126 moneyline favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook. The total is set at 7.5 runs. Let’s dig into a preview, prediction, and best bet for this Tigers vs. Guardians matchup.
Tigers at Guardians prediction, preview
Jack Flaherty takes the mound for the Tigers in an attempt to stop the bleeding. One of their significant offseason acquisitions, Flaherty has been a disappointment for the Tigers, holding a 4.60 ERA over 30 starts and 156.2 innings. He still punches out a ton of batters, recording an 82nd percentile strikeout rate. But he’s going to need his best stuff in this one in what feels like a do-or-die game. The good news for Detroit is that Flaherty tends to bring his A game against the best teams.
His counterpart, Tanner Bibee, has come together at the right time for the Guardians. In the month of September, Bibee has given up only three runs across 21.2 innings, including a complete game two-hit shutout of the White Sox. As Cleveland has heated up, so has Bibee. They’ll need a strong outing from the right-hander as they continue to push for the AL Central crown.
There’s plenty of reason to think both starters will have their best stuff in this one. As both managers treat this like a playoff game, it’s fair to expect the bullpens to be used to the max. In this atmosphere between two strong pitching staffs, I’m counting on a low-scoring affair.
