Detroit, MI
Tigers vs. Guardians ALDS score: Live updates, highlights from Game 3 at Comerica Park
American Coney Island: ‘We’re prepared, always’ for Tigers ALDS
M.L. Elrick takes us inside American Coney Island on Oct. 9, 2024 in Detroit as the Tigers host their first MLB postseason game since 2014.
The Detroit Tigers, having grabbed homefield advantage with a stunning 3-0 victory in Game 2 of the ALDS, look to move within a game of winning the best-of-five series in the first playoff game at Comerica Park in a decade.
Once again, Tigers manager A.J. Hinch played coy with announcing his Game 3 starter; he would only tell reporters on Tuesday that two pitchers were unavailable: left-hander Tarik Skubal, who threw seven scoreless innings in a Game 2 no-decision, and right-hander Reese Olson, who threw five innings in relief in the Tigers’ Game 1 loss.
The Tigers ultimately landed on rookie right-hander Keider Montero to kick things off after he showed he had made some progress in working out some kinks in Game 1, throwing two innings and allowing no runs with three strikeouts in Game 1.
Watch Tigers-Cle on Sling TV
The Guardians, meanwhile, will start 13-year veteran Alex Cobb. The right-hander has a pair of postseason appearances, back in 2013 with the Tampa Bay Rays. More recently, he has made just three starts this season, hampered by injuries. The most recent of which is a blister on the middle finger of his throwing hand, which cost him most of the final month of the season.
The first pitch for Game 3 is at 3:08 p.m. at Comerica Park in Detroit. The game will be televised on TBS and can be streamed on Sling. The Tigers are a slight -115 moneyline favorite, according to BetMGM.
Follow for live updates of Tigers-Guardians Game 3 below.
SHAWN WINDSOR: Unexpected playoff runs are the best kind, and Detroit has had 2 in the last 10 months
Detroit Tigers vs. Cleveland Guardians Game 3 live updates, highlights
∎ Box score.
Game notes and highlights to come.
Detroit Tigers vs. Cleveland Guardians Game 3 pregame reading
TRENDING: Freep’s Tigers beat writer is noticeably absent from coverage. Here’s why.
While Carpenter’s 423-foot blast got all the attention, he wouldn’t have gotten to the plate against Cleveland closer Emmanuel Clase if not for shortstop Trey Sweeney reaching base first. Sweeney, of course, came over to the Tigers as a prospect included in the deal that sent right-hander Jack Flaherty to the Los Angeles Dodgers. But the Freep’s Jeff Seidel says the shortstop is anything but a throw-in.
Comerica Park will almost certainly be rocking for its first playoff game since Oct. 5, 2014 — a 2-1 loss to end a sweep by the Baltimore Orioles in the ALDS. The Tigers haven’t won a playoff game at Comerica since Oct. 16, 2013 — a Game 5 win over the Boston Red Sox in the ALCS. But expect a raucous crowd enjoying the kind of playoff run that comes around once in a generation, according to the Freep’s Shawn Windsor.
Well, at least for the Tigers. As the Freep’s Dave Birkett points out this morning, the Tigers’ near-miraculous recovery from a 10-game deficit on Aug. 10 parallels that of the 2022 Lions, who rose from a 1-7 start to barely miss the playoffs and planted the seeds of a squad that won a franchise-record 14 games (including the postseason) last season and is a frontrunner to make its first Super Bowl this season.
Detroit Tigers ALDS Game 3 lineup
- CF Parker Meadows
- DH Kerry Carpenter
- 3B Matt Vierling
- LF Riley Greene
- RF Wenceel Pérez
- 2B Colt Keith
- 1B Spencer Torkelson
- SS Trey Sweeney
- C Jake Rogers
Cleveland Guardians ALDS Game 3 lineup
- LF Steven Kwan
- DH Kyle Manzardo
- 3B José Ramírez
- 1B Josh Naylor
- CF Lane Thomas
- Andrés Giménez
- RF Will Brennan
- C Bo Naylor
- SS Brayan Rocchio
Jake Rogers (C), Dillon Dingler (C), Andy Ibáñez (2B/3B), Colt Keith (2B), Jace Jung (3B), Zach McKinstry (UTIL), Trey Sweeney (SS), Spencer Torkelson (1B), Matt Vierling (3B/OF), Riley Greene (OF), Parker Meadows (CF), Kerry Carpenter (OF/DH), Wenceel Pérez (OF), Justyn-Henry Malloy (DH/OF), Beau Brieske (RHP), Jason Foley (RHP), Sean Guenther (LHP), Brenan Hanifee (RHP), Tyler Holton (LHP), Brant Hurter (LHP), Jackson Jobe (RHP), Ty Madden (RHP), Keider Montero (RHP), Reese Olson (RHP), Tarik Skubal (LHP), Will Vest (RHP).
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Detroit, MI
Debating Mike McDaniel’s fit for Detroit Lions OC job
But we also can’t ignore the drastic fall-off from the Dolphins’ offense. Partially because of injuries to Tua Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill over the past two seasons, the Dolphins have finished 22nd and 25th in scoring offense in 2024 and 2025, respectively. Injuries can be used as an excuse, but the greatest coordinators find a way through the adversity.
Beyond that, there are questions about his philosophical and schematic fit. While the Lions have built their offenses on grit and physicality, McDaniel seems to favor speed and finesse. But maybe that’s exactly what the Lions need. Detroit has two speedy players in Jameson Williams and Jahmyr Gibbs, who could probably be utilized more creatively, and it’s hard to imagine anyone better than McDaniel to do so.
McDaniel also has a very long coaching history with a lot of different coaching influences and schemes—including his closest coaching guru: Kyle Shanahan. The 49ers head coach has a scheme that is both more congruent with what the Lions do and much more adaptable.
On this EMERGENCY PODCAST, our crew debates the fit of McDaniel in Detroit, along with our thoughts on the Lions’ other known candidate: Commanders quarterbacks coach David Blough.
Before that, Erik Schlitt, Ryan Mathews, and I discuss our biggest takeaways from Lions general manager Brad Holmes’ end-of-season press conference, including the future of David Montgomery, whether Holmes really took accountability for his mistakes, and our confidence in him moving forward.
You can catch our discussion in the embedded podcast below or on any podcasting platform you’d prefer. Just search “Pride of Detroit.”
You can also catch video of the show over on our YouTube pages. Here are the links:
Detroit, MI
Tarik Skubal, Tigers can’t agree on 2026 salary. Here’s what happens
Will Tigers trade Tarik Skubal before free agency? MLB insider speaks
USA TODAY Sports baseball insider Bob Nightengale joins “Days of Roar” podcast to answer several questions about Detroit Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal, who can become a free agent after the 2026 season.
The Detroit Tigers and left-hander Tarik Skubal did not agree to terms on a one-year contract for the 2026 season before the 8 p.m. deadline Thursday, Jan. 8, to exchange salary figures in the arbitration process.
Skubal filed at $32 million; the Tigers filed at $19 million.
It’s a difference of $13 million.
An arbitration panel will review the case during a hearing scheduled for late January or early to mid-February. The arbitrators must determine whether Skubal is worth more or less than the $25.5 million midpoint. If he’s worth more, they will select his $32 million proposal; if less, they will select the Tigers’ $19 million proposal. The panel isn’t allowed to choose a salary in between $19 million and $32 million.
The Tigers operate as a file-and-trial club in salary arbitration under president of baseball operations Scott Harris, meaning there won’t be further negotiations with Skubal regarding a one-year contract. A multi-year contract could still be negotiated, but it’s highly unlikely.
Skubal – represented by agent Scott Boras – reaches free agency after the 2026 season. The 29-year-old is positioned to become the first pitcher in MLB history to receive a $400 million contract.
If the two sides were to reach an agreement before a hearing, it would likely be a one-year contract with a player option, thus maintaining Skubal’s path to free agency in the 2026-27 offseason.
The reigning back-to-back American League Cy Young winner was projected by MLB Trade Rumors to receive $17.8 million in his third and final year of salary arbitration. He previously earned $2.65 million in 2024, then $10.15 million in 2025.
Why couldn’t the Tigers and Skubal agree on a salary for 2026?
The arbitration case for Skubal is unusually complex, thanks to a rarely used provision highlighted by ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Because Skubal has more than five years of MLB service time, he isn’t limited to comparing himself only to past arbitration-eligible players. Instead, he can compare himself to any player in baseball.
Those unique rights allow Skubal – who has five years, 114 days of service time – to point to MLB’s highest-paid pitchers (such as Max Scherzer’s $43.3 million per year from 2022-24 or Zack Wheeler’s $42 million per year from 2025-27), arguing that his elite performance warrants a salary in that range – not in the $17.8 million range, as projected by MLB Trade Rumors.
That’s what pushed the Tigers and Skubal to an arbitration hearing.
[ MUST LISTEN: Make “Days of Roar” your go-to Tigers podcast, available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) ]
The current record for the largest one-year arbitration contract belongs to outfielder Juan Soto, who agreed to $31 million with the New York Yankees for the 2024 season.
If Skubal wins the arbitration hearing, he will surpass Soto and claim the new record with his proposed $32 million salary. If Skubal loses, then he will earn the $19 million salary proposed by the Tigers.
There are two other arbitration records on the line.
The highest-paid arbitration-eligible pitcher belongs to right-hander David Price, who earned $19.75 million with the Tigers in 2015 – his fourth year in the arbitration process as a Super Two qualifier. The largest raise for an arbitration-eligible pitcher belongs to right-hander Jacob deGrom, who surged from $7.4 million to $17 million – an increase of $9.6 million – with the New York Mets in 2019.
Those records for pitchers will belong to Skubal – but only if his proposed $32 million salary is selected by the arbitration panel. He will fall just short of the records if the panel selects the Tigers’ proposed $19 million.
Skubal is the best pitcher in baseball.
More notably, he is on a Hall of Fame trajectory.
In 2025, Skubal registered a 2.21 ERA with 33 walks (4.4% walk rate) and 241 strikeouts (32.2% strikeout rate) across 195⅓ innings in 31 starts. He made the All-Star Game for the second time in his six-year MLB career.
Skubal became the first back-to-back AL Cy Young winner since right-hander Pedro Martínez in 1999-2000, leading the AL with a 2.39 ERA in 2024 and a 2.21 ERA in 2025.
The Tigers haven’t been to an arbitration hearing since right-hander Michael Fulmer in 2019.
Fulmer lost the case, receiving the Tigers’ proposed $2.8 million salary rather than his requested $3.4 million. Before that hearing, the Tigers hadn’t participated in an arbitration hearing since 2001 – and the Tigers haven’t lost a case since 2000.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
Listen to our weekly Tigers show “Days of Roar” every Monday afternoon during the season and Tuesday afternoon during the offseason on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Detroit, MI
Former Detroit Tigers starting pitcher is Rockies’ first signing of winter
DETROIT — Former Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Michael Lorenzen has signed a one-year, $8 million contract with the Colorado Rockies.
It’s the first signing of the offseason for the Rockies under new president Paul DePodesta. The deal includes a $9 million club option for 2027.
It’s the fifth straight winter that Lorenzen has signed a one-year deal following a seven-season tenure with the Cincinnati Reds.
Lorenzen, who turned 34 this week, signed a free-agent deal with the Tigers before the 2023 season. He made 18 starts and was selected for his first appearance in the All-Star Game before being dealt to the Philadelphia Phillies at the trade deadline for infield prospect Hao-Yu Lee.
After a strong start with his new team that included a no-hitter, Lorenzen was moved to the bullpen and pitched sparingly in the postseason.
He found a quiet reception on the free-agent market, agreeing to a discounted one-year deal with the Texas Rangers before the 2024 season. He was traded to the Royals at the deadline and pitched well down the stretch, going 2-0 with a 1.57 ERA in 28 2/3 innings with his new team.
He re-signed with the Royals in 2025 and put together another solid season, posting a 4.64 ERA in 141 innings with 127 strikeouts and 39 walks.
Colorado is known as an unforgiving home for pitchers, and the Rockies lost a league-worst 119 games in 2025.
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