Today is the start of the NFL Draft, broadcasting live from Detroit’s Campus Martius downtown, where more than 300,000 spectators are expected to visit over the next three days. Maybe you’re interested in keeping up when the league’s 32 teams announce their picks alongside your fellow Detroit football fans (maybe while enjoying a snack), but are less enthusiastic about the prospect of dealing with crowded park and ride shuttles, waiting in line to use a porta potty, or paying surge prices for beers and well drinks.

A number of food and drink establishments are taking the Draft action to the neighborhoods, by offering livestreams of the event from television screens, where guests can enjoy a cozy meal with friends without the hassle. Here are a few last-minute options of restaurants, bars, and cafes in the neighborhoods for those of you looking for a way to watch the Draft, just not sandwiched between masses of people downtown.

Ivy Kitchen and Cocktails (9215 E Jefferson Avenue) — Ivy Kitchen and Cocktails in Detroit’s East Village is showing the NFL Draft on TVs both in the restaurant and bar area. Reservations are encouraged for brunch and dinner service throughout the weekend.

El Rancho Mexican Restaurant (5900 Vernor Hwy) — Southwest Detroit stalwart El Rancho Mexican Restaurant is playing the Draft live from TVs in the bar area. Enjoy a plate of tacos, a sizzling fajitas platter, or share a bunch of appetizers like queso flameado and Detroit-style botanas.

The Commons (7900 Mack Avenue) — Any multitaskers out there? Catch up on that pile of laundry at the Commons — the eastside’s coffee shop/laundromat — and then stop by later to catch Draft festivities on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. And maybe even squeeze in a little fellowship among neighbors. The Christian-based nonprofit MACC Development (which operates the cafe) will feature food trucks, giveaways, games, and Faith Night on Friday, with special guest Detroit City Council President Mary Sheffield. Programming kicks off at 5:30 p.m. each day. On Thursday, things wrap up at 8:30 p.m., 9 p.m. on Friday, and 3 p.m. on Saturday. Registration is required for each day.

The Congregation (9321 Rosa Parks Boulevard) — Set in a restored 1920s church with a sprawling patio and garden, the Congregation is an any-occasion type of spot where you can get a charcuterie board and a bottle of Beaujolais with friends or a veggie sandwich and a cold brew while reading a book. For each day of the Draft, the Congregation hosts a tailgate party from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m., featuring yard games and food from Mr. Pit Master BBQ.

Atwater Brewery and Tap House (237 Jos Campau) — Sip on Detroit-style beers at Atwater’s Tap House just under two miles from all of the Draft hype and only a short stroll to the Robert C. Valade Park on the Detroit Riverfront. To commemorate the momentous time in Detroit, the brewery has launched Big Pick IPA, brewed in the Midwest style. The beer has a 6.5% ABV and is brewed with Centennial and Cascade hops.

DETROIT – Here is the full schedule for the 2024 NFL Draft and draft-related events in Downtown Detroit.

The NFL Draft in Detroit takes place April 25 through April 27, in Campus Martius, through Hart Plaza on the Detroit Riverfront.

There’s the NFL Draft itself and the NFL Draft Experience, which includes Corner Ballpark Draft Day in the D events.

2024 NFL Draft schedule:

While the NFL Draft Experience is free for all ages, the Draft Theater is only open to invited ticket holders. As seats become available at the Draft Theater, fans will have a chance to be selected for standing room and other seating depending on what’s available. That is usually for Friday and Saturday only.

The NFL Draft Experience and the Draft Theater are next to each other. Fans at the Draft Experience will have sightlines to the Draft Theater from Woodward Avenue where they can watch Draft picks and concerts. Screens will also be set up throughout the Draft Experience to view the stage.

Draft Theater hours are approximate and can change based on how quickly players are selected.

—> 2024 NFL Draft in Detroit: Everything you need to know to attend

2024 NFL Draft Experience schedule

Fans who want free entry to the NFL Draft Experience presented by Rocket Mortgage will have to register for their NFL OnePass. The experience is free for all ages.

All Draft Experience events such as games, exhibits, player appearances, and sponsor experiences will be hosted at Hart Plaza. Corner Ballpark will host youth-focused activities including the NFL FLAG skills and drills and football clinics.

NFL Draft Experience schedule:

Games:

• 40-Yard Dash

• Vertical Jump

• Hail Mary

Attractions:

• Autograph Stage

• Bud Light Backyard Bar

• Look Like A Pro

• Taste of Detroit

• Invisalign NFL Draft Photo Frames

• Draft Stage (Replica)

• NFL Locker Room (Replica)

• Pepsi Team Helmets

• Super Bowl Rings

• The Vince Lombardi Troph

• NFL Shop presented by Visa

NFL Shop hours are from 12 p.m. until 10 p.m. on Thursday and Friday and 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. on Saturday.

Corner Ballpark

Corner Ballpark is the hub for all youth activities and serves as an extension of the activities at the main Draft site at Hart Plaza and Campus Martius Park. The NFL OnePass is required to enter Corner Ballpark. There will be screens to watch the NFL Draft on NFL Network.

Activities:

• Field Goal Challenge

• Gear Up and Go

• Play Football Field

• Food Trucks

Draft Day in the D

Draft Day in the D runs from Thursday through Saturday and has activities across Capitol Park, Beacon Park, Paradise Valley, Beatrice Buck Park, Grand Circus Park, and on a closed-off portion of Woodward Avenue between State Street and Witherell Street. There will be beer and spirits offered and a lineup of Detroit food trucks.

Detroit food truck lineup:

—> More FAQ on the NFL Draft

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Right-hander Jack Flaherty is trying to put together a bounce-back season with the Detroit Tigers, and since the start of the regular season, the slider has been a pitch reborn for him.

It has been one of the best sliders in baseball.

But the Tampa Bay Rays executed their game plan against Flaherty’s slider, recording four hits off it en route to four runs across the first and second innings. Flaherty settled into his fifth start after adjusting his pitch mix, which allowed the Tigers to storm back and take the lead, but the Rays delivered a comeback of their own in the later innings.

The Tigers lost to the Rays, 7-5, in Wednesday’s finale of a three-game series at Tropicana Field. Right-handed reliever Will Vest, who replaced Flaherty, surrendered three runs in the sixth inning.

The Tigers (14-11) finished their six-game roadtrip with a 4-2 record.

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The two teams combined for five runs in the sixth inning.

The Tigers jumped out to a 5-4 lead with RBI singles from Buddy Kennedy and Javier Báez, both with two outs against right-handed reliever Chris Devenski. The two-run inning was set up by Matt Vierling’s one-out triple to the right-field corner.

The Rays regained the lead, 7-5, with an RBI single from Ben Rortvedt and a two-run home run from Curtis Mead, both off Vest with two outs. Isaac Paredes, who played for the Tigers in 2020-21, sparked the comeback with a leadoff double.

Mead only hit the ball 327 feet to left, but he got just enough of Vest’s slider for a two-run homer to the shortest part of the park. It was the slowest exit velocity to produce an over-the-wall home run this season, at 87.3 mph.

After Báez’s double, the next nine batters were retired by Rays relievers before Jake Rogers walked with two outs in the ninth inning, but left-handed reliever Garrett Cleavinger struck out Riley Greene to end the game.

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Jack not so nimble

In his fifth start, Flaherty allowed four runs on seven hits — without a walk — in five innings, striking out six batters. He kept the Rays from scoring in the third, fourth and fifth innings to keep the Tigers within striking distance.

He threw 97 pitches.

The Rays collected their first four hits off Flaherty’s slider: Randy Arozarena’s solo home run in the first inning, followed by Amed Rosario’s single, Rortvedt’s double and José Caballero’s single in the second.

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The double from Rortvedt and the single from Caballero scored runs for a 3-1 lead. Yandy Díaz increased the Rays’ lead to 4-1 with an RBI single off Flaherty’s fastball with two strikes and two outs in the second.

After that, Flaherty began to throw more curveballs.

Flaherty struck out Arozarena on three pitches in the third inning: a 74.1 mph curveball for a called strike, an uncharacteristically slow 88.9 mph four-seam fastball fouled off and, finally, a 77.3 mph curveball for a swinging strike.

He retired the final six batters he faced.

Flaherty generated 15 whiffs (on 50 swings) with six fastballs, five sliders and four curveballs. His fastball — responsible for six of 15 whiffs and nine of 15 called strikes — averaged 93.6 mph.

A reunion with Tyler Alexander

The Tigers took a 1-0 lead in the first inning.

Greene delivered a leadoff single and scored on Spencer Torkelson’s hard-hit groundout. Greene trotted to second base on Wenceel Pérez’s walk, then moved up to third on a balk from right-hander Shawn Armstrong, who served as an opener for the Rays.

The Tigers tacked on two runs in the fifth inning against left-hander Tyler Alexander, an old friend.

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Alexander, who pitched for the Tigers from 2019-23, walked Báez on four pitches with one out in the fifth. Rogers followed up with a single, pulling Alexander’s middle-in cutter. The runners advanced — both into scoring position — when Greene flew out to the warning track in right-center field.

Báez and Rogers scored on Mark Canha’s two-run single on a ground ball into left field, cutting the Tigers’ deficit to 4-3.

Alexander, whom the Tigers designated for assignment in early November, allowed two runs on three hits and one walk with two strikeouts in four innings. The Rays claimed Alexander off waivers after he was cut by the Tigers.

He has a 4.74 ERA in 24⅔ innings this season.

Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.

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