CLEVELAND — The same elements that powered their improbable run let them down for one afternoon, and now the Guardians' collective backs are against the wall.

The Guardians lost Game 1 of the American League Wild Card Series , 2-1, to the Detroit Tigers Tuesday, Sept. 30 at Progressive Field. It was another Guardians-Tigers classic , an intense nail-biter that was tied or a one-run score wire to wire.

But the way in which Cleveland lost was, perhaps, uncharacteristic of a team that leaned into its identity during the 2025 season. And now, they'll have to win back-to-back games to keep their hopes of a deep playoff run alive.

Here are the top takeaways from Guardians-Tigers Game 1. Buy Cleveland Guardians gear

Jose Ramirez made an extremely rare mistake, but maybe he had no o

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