CLEVELAND — Midwest neighbors and mostly friendly rivals, the Cleveland Guardians and the Detroit Tigers have faced off on the field 2,326 times since their first meeting on May 3, 1901.
Never once have they done so in the postseason. After 123 years, that changes Saturday. It’s finally happening.
“This will be the best commute in my playoff history,” joked Tigers manager A.J. Hinch, noting the short flight over Lake Erie. “Two proud cities in a great part of the country, more so in the summer than the winter. You’re going to see packed stadiums on both sides. It’s good for baseball.”
Welcome to the “Surprise Series” of the 2024 Major League Baseball playoffs.
With the wild-card round over, the American League field is down to four. It’s the top-seeded New York Yankees — the AL East Division champions with the deep pockets — and a trio of AL Central clubs that entered this season with modest expectations: the second-seeded Guardians (who won the division), the fifth-seeded Kansas City Royals and the sixth-seeded Tigers.