On May 3, 1901, the Detroit Tigers defeated Cleveland 6–3 before 3,500 spectators in what would eventually become known as the Motor City. A rivalry was born.
The last century has seen the fortunes of the Cleveland Guardians and Tigers ebb and flow. They never really caught on as hardcore foes in the vein of Ohio State and Michigan—for four years in the 1990s, they weren't even in the same division—but residual enmity blossomed. It all culminated in the 2024 American League Division Series, when the Guardians swiped a thrilling five-game drama from Detroit in the two teams' first postseason meeting.
On Saturday, Cleveland won its fifth straight game against the Tigers between regular season and postseason play. Amazingly, the Guardians' 7–5 10-inning victory tied the all-time series at 1,161 games apiece.
Cleveland Blues/Naps/Indians/Guardians vs. Detroit Tigers, regular + postseason since 1901:
— Anthony Castrovince (@castrovince) May 25, 2025
Cleveland: 1,161 wins
Detroit: 1,161 wins
Big rubber match tomorrow!
The teams have also tied 12 games, per Baseball Reference.
Sunday is the rubber match, and as all baseball fans know, the six best words in sports are Game Two Thousand Three Hundred Thirty-Five.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as All-Time Series Between Guardians, Tigers Tied After Cleveland's Win Saturday.
