Guardians set to face Detroit, ace Tarik Skubal in ALDS

Playoff baseball is back in Cleveland and the Guardians are poised to make a deep run.

Why it matters: Cleveland looks to make its first American League Championship Series since 2016, behind first-year manager Stephen Vogt.

Driving the news: First up is the AL Divisional Series, with the Guardians facing the Detroit Tigers in Game 1 on Friday at Progressive Field.

The intrigue: Cleveland led a strong AL Central Division for much of the regular season, finishing with the second-best record (92-69) in the league behind the New York Yankees.

• The Guardians narrowly won the regular season series against Detroit, seven games to six.

State of play: Cleveland's strength is its bullpen, led by closer Emmanuel Clase, who led the AL with 47 saves.

• The Guardians also had a stronger offense than Detroit during the regular season.
• Sluggers José Ramírez and Josh Naylor each hit over 30 home runs and 100 RBIs.

The other side: Detroit is on a magical run, going 10-3 in its last 13 games to clinch a playoff spot before upsetting the Houston Astros in the Wild Card round.

• The Tigers also have a dominant pitcher and Cy Young Award favorite in Tarik Skubal.

What they're saying: "There's nothing better than postseason baseball," Vogt told reporters via Zoom earlier this week.

• "It's like, the hard part is over. It's 162 games, grueling getting through it. Now, let's just go have fun and play our game and see what happens, because these guys have earned it."

How to watch: Tickets for tomorrow's game are available on the secondary market starting at just under $200 apiece.

• Start time is 1:08pm and will air on TBS and Max.

What's next: Game 2 takes place at 4:08pm Monday, also at Progressive Field.