Guardians offense erupts late to beat the Tigers 6-1 and force a deciding Game 3 with a 3:08 pm start. Shifts in scheduling dull the crowd, but Cleveland’s bats finally woke when it mattered, and the bullpen will be tested as Slade Cecconi and a short leash define the opener, with Cade Smith likely ready to cover multiple innings and Joey Cantillo ready if needed. A win would push Cleveland toward an ALDS with Seattle.

Dodgers’ Wild Card win over Cincinnati tightens the Thursday slate to three must-win games, ratcheting up the pressure across the league. If Cleveland survives, the Guardians chase a marquee matchup vs. Seattle, proving their youth and depth can carry them deep. Detroit pivots to a hard exit, while the NL side set the stage for a chaotic, win-or-go-home day in baseball.

Brayan Rocchio delivered the clutch for Cleveland with an eighth-inning go-ahead homer on a 0-2 fastball, fueling a 6-1 win that evened the AL Wild Card Series with Detroit. Bo Naylor followed with an eighth-inning homer and George Valera also went deep, sparking a five-run burst to seize control. The Guardians bullpen locked it down as Cleveland capitalized on a frustrated Detroit with 15 runners left on base for the Tigers.

Game 3 looms as the decisive matchup in the best-of-three, with Detroit’s Jack Flaherty set to start against Cleveland’s Slade Cecconi. Detroit’s offense stranded runners all day (1-for-15 with RISP) and left a bases-loaded chance in the ninth, while Cleveland leaned on Rocchio’s playoff form and timely blasts to swing momentum in their favor.

Cleveland clinched a wild-card berth in dramatic fashion as Johnathan Rodríguez punctuated the rally with a two-run homer, and a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch kept the pressure on after Arias was intentionally walked to reach Kayfus. Cantillo delivered a bright spot on the mound, while Cade Smith cemented the closer role in a pivotal late-season push. The Guardians head to a division-deciding game with the Rangers, where Logan Allen faces Patrick Corbin in a must-win scenario.

The late-inning sequence underscored Cleveland's surprising turn-around this season: from rough stretches to cohesive depth up and down the lineup, bullpen strength, and clutch hitting fueling a playoff chase that keeps escalating as the schedule tightens. Fantasy managers should watch the bullpen and the top-of-the-order bats as Cleveland aims to extend its momentum into October.