Detroit Tigers fans set Comerica Park postseason attendance record during shutout vs. Guardians

DETROIT – In front of a record-breaking crowd during Game 3 of the ALDS, the Detroit Tigers are one win away from advancing to the American League Championship Series. Fans of the Tigers came out in droves for the city’s first playoff game since 2014.

The Tigers took a 2-1 series lead after shutting out the Guardians 3-0 on Wednesday (Oct. 9) in front of 44,885, which set the record for the largest postseason attendance in Comerica Park history.

Although pitcher Keider Montero got the tip of the cap in the first inning, the Tigers used six relief pitchers to hold the Cleveland Guardians to six hits in the victory in what Manager A.J. Hinch called “chaos.”

“It’s absolutely not scripted because it’s just so much stuff that’s going on,” said Hinch. “From the very first part of it, Keider had no idea first off and responded favorably with an incredible first inning with a ton of energy in the ballpark in an atmosphere that was second to none.”

Montero threw six pitches in which five were called strikes set the tone for the remainder of the game, but Hinch swiftly made a change after the Tigers grabbed a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on an RBI single by outfielder Riley Greene that scored fellow outfielder.

With left-hander Josh Naylor coming up to the plate to start the second inning, Hinch turned left-handed pitcher Brant Hurter, who retained the 1-0 lead.

“He gets one, three up, three down, we had (Brant) Hurter for the beginning at (Josh) Naylor,” Hinch said. “But the games going to change, you know, ebbs and flows of things, runners, guys getting up just in case you need them. Defending against their pinch hitters. There was no order that I had in my mind; I just knew that I had 10 guys available, and we were going to use them, so, we’ve been doing this for a couple months, so our guys responded favorably and did an incredible job of getting up and getting ready and getting their hitters out almost perfectly in terms of coming in situations and pounding the strike zone and doing their parts to put pressure on them to continue innings.”

The organized chaos has the Tigers one win away from the ALCS, which would be their first appearance since 2013.

In front of a hungry baseball postseason crowd, the Tigers were able to put the bats of the Guardians on the proverbial struggle bus as they’ve been scoreless in 18 consecutive innings and 20 innings going back to the seventh inning of Game 1.

Hurter, who is part of the youth movement as one of 13 rookies on the “gritty” Tigers 26-man playoff roster, pitched three and a third innings, followed by Beau Brieske, who, in two innings, struck out five while allowing no runs.

Will Vest threw a scoreless inning and a third in the seventh and eighth innings. Tyler Holton got the save with a three up, three down ninth inning to advance to 2-1 in the best-of-five series.

Look for the Tigers to stay hot and possibly advance to the ALCS on Oct. 10 at 6:08 p.m.