The Cleveland Guardians fought their way to the AL Central title and an unlikely playoff berth.
That was just the beginning.
It didn’t take long before they faced adversity again, and that resiliency and spirit will have to show up again in Game 2 of the AL Wild Card series against the Detroit Tigers.
The Guardians lost Game 1, but if Tigers manager A.J. Hinch knows anything, it is that their opponent is never truly done.
“Crazy stuff happens when we play the Guardians,” Hinch said. “They just scratch and claw and keep coming after you.”
The Tigers had some additional motivation entering the series.
The Guardians overcame a 15.5-game deficit to overtake them for the division crown, and therefore earned the right to play all three games of this series in Cleveland.
The Tigers faced plenty of criticism for their historic collapse, and they certainly want to get back at the team that took full advantage of it.
On the other side, the Guardians know they’re capable of avoiding elimination.
They’ve already proved doubters wrong by making it to October, something that seemed impossible a couple of months ago, so they’re playing with house money.
Of course, that doesn’t mean they won’t take the situation seriously.
But after all they’ve been through, they have to feel like they’re never truly defeated, and they’re ready to keep this magical season going with a victory that would force a deciding Game 3.
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