But here's where it gets controversial... While the stakes are clear, the exact timing of Game 3 remains uncertain. Major League Baseball will make that determination based on the result of the Dodgers vs. Reds series. Originally slated for a 1:08 p.m. first pitch, the game could be pushed back to 3:08 p.m. If the Dodgers beat the Reds on Wednesday (in a game currently airing on ESPN) to close out that National League wild card series, the Guardians and Tigers will play at 3:08 p.m. Thursday on ABC. If the Reds win and extend their series against the Dodgers to a Game 3, Cleveland and Detroit will play at 1:08 p.m. on ESPN. Chase DeLauter’s opening act makes Guardians history, leaving everyone believing in more to come. Just when I thought it might be over for the Guardians... BOOM! – Terry Pluto (https://www.cleveland.com/guardians/2025/10/just-when-i-thought-it-might-be-over-for-the-guardians-boom-terry-pluto.html). The Guardians rally for five runs in the eighth inning to beat the Tigers, 6-1, and force deciding Game 3 in the wild card series. A later start would not only accommodate more of the city’s diehards but also give both teams a slightly longer window to fine-tune strategies, recover from the emotional drain of Game 2, and make last-minute adjustments. On the mound, the Guardians will turn to Slade Cecconi. Opposing him, Jack Flaherty steps into a familiar high-pressure October setting, bringing a repertoire that’s both explosive and strategic. Game 3 will be the biggest chess match of them all, with both managers utilizing their rosters to full capacity hoping to take an inch from their opponent and turn it into a mile. The winner moves on, and the loser goes home, leaving fans to replay every swing, every strikeout, and every managerial call in the long shadow of what might have been.
