Chasing October: Wild-card series live takeaways

theScore provides running analysis and insights throughout the 2025 MLB wild-card series, starting Tuesday and running through Thursday if necessary. Keep checking back for updates as the opening round unfolds.

Jump to: DET vs. CLE

5th inning: Craig Counsell brought out the early hook, removing Boyd after 58 pitches before he could turn the lineup over a third time. It's quite the contrast to the early game that saw Tarik Skubal and Gavin Williams combine to throw over 200 pitches. Boyd turned in a strong performance, allowing one run over 4 1/3 innings. Chicago immediately responded in the bottom half of the inning, with Seiya Suzuki and Carson Kelly taking Nick Pivetta deep for a 2-1 lead. Pivetta had done a great job of keeping the ball in the park over the regular season, posting a career-best 1.1 HR/9. Chicago had just one hit over the first four innings.

2nd inning: The Padres are on the board. Back-to-back doubles from Jackson Merrill and Xander Bogaerts allow San Diego to open the scoring. Bogaerts' return from the IL late in the regular season gave the Friars a boost, and they'll need him to lengthen a lineup that's struggled to produce runs at times. Case in point: Bogaerts advanced to third on an error and was immediately stranded after the Padres' next three hitters failed to get the ball out of the infield. Pivetta looks incredible early with four strikeouts.

1st inning: Cubs left-hander Matthew Boyd got choked up Monday when speaking about making the Game 1 start but kept his emotions in check during an impressive 12-pitch inning. The 34-year-old was an appropriate choice to start the opener after an incredible season in which he posted a 3.21 ERA and 1.09 WHIP across 179 2/3 innings. Nick Pivetta received a bit of an early scare when Michael Busch hammered his second pitch of the game 378 feet but it stayed in the yard. Pivetta struck out Ian Happ and Kyle Tucker after allowing Nico Hoerner to reach on a single. Keep an eye on how Pivetta works with Freddy Fermin, who is catching him for the first time.

9th inning: Basically a dream start to the postseason for the Tigers, who miraculously remained in the field despite their epic collapse in the second half of the season. Skubal went 7 2/3 innings, allowing one run on three hits and one walk while striking out a career-high 14. The Guardians could've moved the fences in 100 feet just for their at-bats and it wouldn't have mattered. Detroit had to rely on Will Vest for the final four nail-biting outs, but everyone else is rested for Wednesday's Game 2. Meanwhile, Cleveland burned two very high-leverage guys in Gaddis and Cade Smith in the loss. Detroit needs one more win to make the Guardians' historic 15.5-game comeback to claim the division moot.

7th inning: Williams' day is done. The righty surrendered a leadoff double to Riley Greene to kick off the seventh. After a mound visit, Williams then coughed up a single to Wenceel Pérez that easily could've been an out if Jhonkensy Noel managed to keep his foot on the bag. Noel was eventually charged with an error on the play and the hit was erased from Williams' record. First out of the 'pen is Hunter Gaddis, who gives up the lead on a sacrifice bunt from Zach McKinstry. Small-ball aficionados are feasting. Williams' line closes at two runs (zero earned) on five hits and one walk over six frames. He did his job. Skubal has done his even better in this incredible pitchers' duel to open the postseason.

4th inning: There's no question Skubal is amped up this afternoon. Everything the southpaw throws is at least 1 mph faster than his season norm. How long can the adrenaline last? An 0-2 dribbler up the middle by leadoff man Angel Martínez is followed by a full-count walk to José Ramírez. After bouncing back to retire the next two hitters on six straight strikes, Skubal surrenders another chopper up the middle and the game is tied. A brilliant attempt at making the play by Skubal is overturned on review. The ball hasn't left the infield this inning. This is Guardians baseball.

1st inning: The first run comes courtesy of a Spencer Torkelson RBI single, but it's Kerry Carpenter's baserunning in the previous at-bat that really generated the tally. The Tigers DH was able to round first and head for second on a poorly fielded ground ball by right fielder Johnathan Rodríguez. It's ruled a single and a one-base error. The Guardians finished with 18 outfield errors, third-most among the teams in the playoff field. They ranked as the fourth-worst defensive outfield in the majors this year (and by far the worst of the postseason crowd) by Statcast's outs above average.

1st inning: And the 2025 MLB postseason is underway. Guardians right-hander Gavin Williams gets a quick one-pitch out on a lazy Parker Meadows fly ball to left field. He's got a tough assignment going up against the reigning and presumptive AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal. The Tigers open as heavy favorites to win Game 1 (-165, according to ESPN BET and theScore Bet) and slight faves to win the series (-120) despite being on the road for all three games. And that line makes sense given Cleveland is the only team in the playoff field with a negative run differential. Things certainly aren't hopeless for the AL Central champs, though. Skubal made his last two starts of the year against the Guardians, and the Tigers lost both (the lefty was credited with one of the losses). In total over those outings, Skubal allowed four runs (two earned) on 11 hits and five walks over 12 innings while striking out 17. Meanwhile, Williams' last two starts of the regular season also came against the Tigers and he won both, allowing two earned runs on seven hits and four walks while striking out 21 over 11 frames.