CLEVELAND -- Tarik Skubal tied a franchise postseason record with 14 strikeouts and the Detroit Tigers defeated the Cleveland Guardians 2-1 on Tuesday in Game 1 of their AL Wild Card Series.
Will Vest recorded the final four outs for Detroit, surviving a tense ninth inning after Cleveland star Jose Ramirez got hung up between third base and home for the second out.
The Tigers, who struggled down the stretch, allowing Cleveland to secure the AL Central title, can advance to the division series round for the second straight year with a win Wednesday.
"It means a lot to take the ball in Game 1," Skubal said. "To have the trust in our whole organization, it means a lot. And it doesn't really matter how we got here. We're up 1-0 in a best of three."
Detroit scored the go-ahead run in the seventh inning when Zach McKinstry's safety squeeze scored Riley Greene from third.
Ramirez led off the ninth with an infield single and advanced to third when shortstop Javier Baez threw wide of first base. Vest struck out pinch-hitter George Valera, then Kyle Manzardo hit a grounder to Vest. Ramirez broke for home but was cut off by Vest, who chased him down and tagged him out.
"That ball's two feet either way, he scores," Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said. "It just happened to go right back to Vest. So we play aggressive. We always do. We run the bases aggressive. I wouldn't play that any other way."
C.J. Kayfus then hit a flyout to Baez in shallow left to end it.
Skubal, who is favored to win his second straight AL Cy Young Award, set a career high for strikeouts. He was dominant and unfazed as he pitched on the same mound where one week ago, he threw a 99 mph fastball that struck Cleveland designated hitter David Fry in the nose and face during the sixth inning.
"I thought my outing was coming to a close," Skubal said when asked about being allowed to continue on into the eighth inning. "But I was ready to go back out there. I'm never going to take myself out of a game, and I don't ever really want the handshake."
The right-hander went 7 2/3 innings and threw 107 pitches, one off his career high, including 73 strikes. He allowed one run on only three hits, with two being infield singles, and walked three. His fastball averaged 99.1 mph, 1.6 mph above his season average.
Skubal outdueled Cleveland starter Gavin Williams, who was just as effective but hurt by a pair of Guardians errors. Williams allowed two unearned runs in six-plus innings on five hits with eight strikeouts and one walk.
"I was just worried about doing my best to execute each pitch," Skubal said, "and just do what makes me a good pitcher, and that's getting ahead, and getting guys into leverage."
Detroit took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Kerry Carpenter scored on Spencer Torkelson's two-out bloop single to left field. Carpenter got aboard on a base hit to right but advanced to second on a fielding error by Johnathan Rodriguez.
The Guardians finally got to Skubal in the fourth by not having a ball leave the infield.
Angel Martinez hit a slow grounder between Skubal and second baseman Gleyber Torres to lead off the inning. He advanced to second on Ramrez's walk.
With two outs and runners on first and second, Gabriel Arias hit a high chopper over Skubal. The ball landed on the infield grass between the mound and second base. Skubal fielded the ball as Martinez rounded third. Martinez's left hand touched the plate before Detroit catcher Dillon Dingler applied the tag.
Martinez was originally ruled out on the head-first slide, but it was overturned by instant replay to tie the game at 1-1.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
