Chasing October: Wild-card series live analysis for Game 3

theScore provides running analysis and insights throughout the 2025 MLB wild-card series, continuing Wednesday and running through Thursday if necessary. Keep checking back for updates as the opening round unfolds and check out our Game 1 and Game 2 takeaways.

7th inning: So ... why is Sabrowski still out there? Instead of counting himself lucky that he managed to get an out from Sabrowski in a third straight game, Vogt rolls the dice on giving him another clean frame. The lefty coughs up a very loud double to Báez and then allows Parker Meadows to reach on a dribbler that he played a little too lazily. Vogt goes to the bullpen and signals for Hunter Gaddis, who's also working in his third straight game. The Guardians do, in fact, employ other relievers. I'm sure of it. He coughs up a two-run single from Wenceel Pérez, and it's all Tigers. Sabrowski and Gaddis end up combining to allow four runs on five hits and one walk while retiring only two batters. Matt Festa mercifully gets the final two outs of the inning, but the damage is done. Why is this the first time the Guardians have used Festa in this series? Vogt will have to answer for this.

6th inning: Call it the Dillon Dingler Game. There's no telling how that Guardians rally could've gone in the fourth inning if Dingler didn't catch Ramírez stealing. And now, he's hit the go-ahead homer into the left-field bleachers of Progressive Field. It feels like this contest will come down to the wire, but the Tigers are 12 outs away from heading to the ALDS. Meanwhile, on the Guardians' side, Vogt does end up calling upon Sabrowski for a third straight game, and the southpaw gets Zach McKinstry to ground out. His workload will surely end there.

4th inning: Nothing can ruin a rally quite like the collective defense of Dillon Dingler and Javier Báez. The Guardians tie it up, thanks to a Ramírez single that cashes in George Valera. However, Ramírez gets a bit greedy and tries to steal second base. The throw and tag to get him are simply a thing of beauty.

There's no one better in the game. Dingler caught nearly 32% of would-be base-stealers this year. And Báez? He's not nicknamed El Mago for nothing. We're back to even at 1-1.

3rd inning: Stephen Vogt is once again showing his managerial acumen. A quick hook for Cecconi after he gives up back-to-back singles with one out in the third, and the skipper calls upon lefty Tim Herrin with Kerry Carpenter as the assignment. Herrin winds up allowing an RBI double to Carpenter but settles in to retire Wenceel Pérez for the second straight day and then strikes out Spencer Torkelson. Cleveland has only one other usable lefty remaining in the 'pen in Kolby Allard. Erik Sabrowski is also in there, but the fact that he worked Games 1 and 2 likely makes him unavailable. Early advantage: Tigers.

2nd inning: Chase DeLauter's first big-league hit is a single into shallow right field during a must-win playoff game. Doesn't get much better than that after dropping the fly ball in the first inning of his debut Wednesday. It doesn't pay dividends, as Gabriel Arias strikes out next and Bo Naylor pops up to end the inning, but a hit is a hit.

1st inning: Although Cecconi wasn't very efficient, he was effective, getting out of the first frame with two strikeouts on 26 pitches. Gleyber Torres squared up a Cecconi slider to lead off but hit it right at left fielder Steven Kwan. Flaherty looks a lot more comfortable early, getting through the first on 14 pitches and ending on a José Ramírez strikeout.

Pregame: It's what sports fans live for: Win or go home. Tigers-Guardians kicks off three elimination games Thursday as only one of the wild-card matchups didn't go the distance. Slade Cecconi will take the mound first for the slightly favored Guardians at home (-130 on ESPN BET and theScore Bet). Cecconi has 236 MLB innings under his belt with a 5.07 ERA, but he put together the best season of his career this year in his first campaign as a full-time starter. He'll go up against Jack Flaherty, who signed a fresh two-year contract with the Tigers this past offseason. While Cecconi has made a couple postseason relief appearances, Flaherty has quite a lot of playoff experience as a starter, including last year's decisive World Series Game 5 for the victorious Los Angeles Dodgers. The righty allowed two homers and was yanked after recording four outs, but he's been here before. And that might count for something.