DETROIT — The Tigers will try to survive to face another day … and put the ball back in the hands of Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal.
The Mariners will try to win…and avoid a rematch with Skubal.
“We've been working hard to get to this point and get one step closer to a championship,” Mariners third baseman Eugenio Suárez said. “Our work is not done yet. We have to keep playing like this.”
Of all best-of-five playoff series tied 1-1, the Game 3 winner has won 47 of 66 series games (71.2%). In the division series that currently uses the 2-2-1 format, teams that take a 2-1 advantage on the road heading into Game 4 advance in 23 of 34 games (67.7%), with 19 of those games ending the series in Game 4.
The Tigers knew they had to play better to avoid elimination. Early miscues, Jack Flaherty's brief outing and an inability to tackle Logan Gilbert cost them dearly in Game 3. Now, a team that suffered a late-season collapse in the AL Central but learned to survive and thrive in October will find itself in trouble again.
“We're not going to give up,” Tigers manager AJ Hinch said. “We're going to play out the rest of the series and see if we can rise to the challenge of getting through this lineup and making some more runs.”
The Tigers will send All-Star starter Casey Mize to the hill opposite Mariners right-hander Bryce Miller, who will be making his first postseason appearance.
But as is always the case in the knockout rounds, everyone will work together. That's true for both teams, as the Mariners bullpen could get aggressive with Thursday's off day approaching if the series continues Friday in Seattle with a decisive Game 5.
When does the game take place and how to watch it?
Game 4 is now live on FS1. All series are available in the United States on MLB.TV and are subject to verification by participating pay TV providers. Games can also be streamed internationally, except in Canada. Sportsnet is the exclusive English-language broadcaster of every MLB postseason game in Canada, while TVA Sports will cover the entire American League playoffs and World Series in French, and RDS Broadcasting will cover the entire NL postseason in French.
Who are the starting pitchers?
Sailors: Miller (4-6, 5.68 ERA) has been salivating over this opportunity for three full seasons, debuting a year after the Mariners' last postseason appearance (2022) before becoming a member of the 2023 and 2024 teams as the team heads into October. So, this will be his first try in October, and he's getting it mostly out of necessity because the Mariners are without Brian Wu and he's dealing with chest inflammation.
Miller, who was forced to the IL twice due to a bone spur in his throwing elbow that limited him to just 18 starts, came out of the bullpen early in the series but was not utilized. The Mariners' options came down to resting Miller, playing in the bullpen or resting first-game starter George Kirby briefly.
“I followed the plan and threw a couple bullpens this week, which was the plan knowing Wu was out, and that's probably the way we're going to go,” Miller said. “So it hasn’t affected my schedule too much.”
tiger: Mize (14-6, 3.87 ERA) will start on six days' rest after pitching three one-run innings in Game 2 of Cleveland's wild-card series. Part of the reason for Hinch's quick hook was command issues, including two base hits and a poorly-placed fastball that hit George Valera for a home run. Mize has home-run acumen – especially in his bases – but he also has swing-and-miss potential to take advantage of offensive lineups. Hinch will likely make a quick decision on Miz's tendencies as to whether he sticks with him or makes this essentially a bullpen game.
“I have to be very sharp, you know, of course, like we all have to be,” Mize said. “But yes. I think [the Mariners’ power] Change your mindset a little bit. But for the most part, I do my thing. I always try to stay in the corners, below and above the area, rather than in the center of it. But with lineups that can do damage, you have to be 100 percent more aware of that. “
During the regular season, Mize went 5-2 with a 3.38 ERA in 10 starts while resting six or more days.
What is the starting lineup?
Sailors: Manager Dan Wilson went with the same lineup from Game 3 in today's potential decider.
tiger: Kerry Carpenter, who moved up from second on Tuesday to try to force Wilson into the bullpen early, did so again in Game 4.
How will the bullpen line up after the start?
Sailors: Despite leading 8-1 in the ninth inning of Game 3, Wilson was forced to use closer Andres Munoz after left-hander Caleb Ferguson gave up three runs in the four batters he faced. It's not an ideal situation, as Munoz pitched two innings in Game 1 and another in Game 2. However, he was able to stay away from big lefty Gabe Speyer, who has become a key factor in this series. But other leverage arms — Matt Brash and Eduard Bazardo — also had an inning each in Game 3. That said, with everyone on the field and Miller prone to giving up hard contact at times, Seattle's bullpen could be relied upon aggressively, especially with a chance to end the series and avoid a winner-take-all Game 5 vs. Skubal.
tiger: The Tigers bullpen can become more aggressive with Thursday's training day and Skubal preparing to start Game 5 if necessary. One option to watch is Troy Melton, who pitched four one-run innings in Game 1 but will be out of the bullpen after resting the last three days.
any injuries of note
Sailors: This isn't injury related, but Josh Naylor is no longer expected to be listed as a father since he rejoined the team before Game 3 following the birth of his first child. Naylor did not initially fly with the club from Seattle to Detroit.
Who is hot and who is not?
Sailors: Arozarena (who had a .596 OPS in September) and Suarez (who was in an 0-for-17 slump heading into Game 3 of the regular season) both got off Schneider on Tuesday, with the former going 2-for-5 and the latter hitting a 422-foot home run. …Rodriguez didn't carry over the offensive firepower he had in Games 1 and 2, but he's still one of the best players in the sport three months into the game. … Ferguson may have lost control after forcing Wilson to use Munoz in the lowest-leverage position.
tiger: Torkelson has a two-run double in each of the past two games and has accounted for half of Detroit's scoring in the series. … Carpenter has not had a hit since his home run in Game 1 and is 1-for-12 in the series with six strikeouts. … Meadows and McKinstry are both 1-for-11 in the series with four and five strikeouts, respectively.
Is there anything else fans want to know?
Sailors: Seattle has three games under .500 on the road this season (39-42). But the club won seven of its final eight road games at the end of the regular season before the first road game of the playoffs.
tiger: The Tigers haven't won a game at UnionSign Park since Sept. 6 against the White Sox. They have lost their last eight home games.