Cleveland Guardians vs Detroit Tigers: Game Review September 17, 2025
September 17, 2025 – Comerica Park, Detroit
The Cleveland Guardians continued their impressive late-season surge with a commanding 4-0 shutout victory over the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on Wednesday evening, September 17, 2025. The win marked Cleveland’s sixth consecutive victory, extending what has become their best winning streak of the 2025 season.
Game Summary and Final Score
In front of 34,415 fans at Comerica Park, the Guardians blanked the Tigers 4-0 to claim their fifth win in six meetings with Detroit this season. The victory narrowed Detroit’s lead in the AL Central to 4.5 games with just 10 games remaining in the regular season, adding significant playoff implications to this late-September showdown.
Starting Pitchers
Cleveland Guardians: Gavin Williams (11-5)
Detroit Tigers: Jack Flaherty (8-14)
Williams delivered a masterclass performance, striking out nine Tigers batters over five dominant innings while allowing just three hits and two walks. The young right-hander threw 100 pitches and earned player of the game honors for his stellar outing. This performance continued his remarkable success against Detroit, as Williams has now gone 20 consecutive innings without allowing a run to the Tigers dating back to July 2024.
Flaherty battled through five innings for Detroit, surrendering just one run on three hits. Despite issuing four walks, the veteran right-hander kept the Tigers within striking distance, most notably working out of a bases-loaded jam in the fifth inning with a crucial strikeout of Kyle Manzardo. After the strikeout, Flaherty roared in celebration before heading to the dugout.
Game Highlights and Key Moments
The Guardians broke through in the third inning when George Valera delivered an RBI single to give Cleveland a 1-0 lead. The score remained tight until the sixth inning, when Gabriel Arias doubled, stole third base, and scored on Angel Martínez’s pinch-hit RBI single, extending Cleveland’s lead to 2-0.
Detroit’s best opportunity came in the seventh inning when they had runners on first and second with one out. Manager A.J. Hinch deployed three right-handed hitters against Guardians left-handed reliever Erik Sabrowski, but the Tigers failed to capitalize on the favorable matchups. Andy Ibáñez popped out and Gleyber Torres grounded out to end the threat.
The Guardians put the game away in the ninth inning when Bo Naylor delivered a two-strike, two-out, two-run single off Tigers reliever José Urquidy to make it 4-0.
Standout Performances
Gavin Williams (CLE): The Cleveland starter was dominant, striking out nine while allowing no runs over five innings to improve his record to 11-5.
Bo Naylor (CLE): Delivered the knockout blow with his two-run single in the ninth inning, finishing 1-for-5 with 2 RBIs.
Gabriel Arias (CLE): Went 1-for-5 with a double and a run scored, also making an impact on the basepaths with a stolen base.
Jack Flaherty (DET): Despite taking the loss, Flaherty kept the Tigers in the game with five solid innings, allowing just one run and working out of several jams.
Comerica Park Atmosphere
The game drew a strong weeknight crowd of 34,415 fans to Comerica Park on a pleasant September evening in Detroit. The 3-hour, 15-minute contest saw the hometown crowd grow increasingly restless as their Tigers were shut out for the 10th time this season. The tension was palpable in the seventh inning when Detroit threatened but couldn’t break through against Cleveland’s bullpen.
Playoff Implications
This victory has significant implications for the AL Central race. Detroit’s lead over Cleveland shrunk to 4.5 games with 10 games remaining for the Tigers. Detroit’s magic number to clinch the division remained at seven, meaning any combination of Tigers wins and Guardians losses totaling seven would secure the division title for Detroit.
The Tigers have stumbled down the stretch, losing 14 of their last 21 games, while the surging Guardians have won 11 of their last 12. The teams are scheduled to play four more times before the season ends, including the series finale at Comerica Park on Thursday and a three-game set next week.
Looking Ahead
The series concludes Thursday afternoon with Detroit sending their ace, left-hander Tarik Skubal (13-5, 2.26 ERA), to the mound against Cleveland’s Tanner Bibee (10-11, 4.44 ERA) in what promises to be another pivotal matchup in the AL Central race.
Photos: Glenn Gervais – In Play! magazine
