The Tigers are heading back home with the ALDS tied 1-1 with the Mariners, and the moment has begun to build. After playing the first 2 games in Seattle, the Tigers will play Game 3 on October 7 at Comerica Park. While the ALDS series between the Tigers and the Mariners will end after a 5 game stretch, the mood of the Tigers stars is a mix of optimism and urgency, which is shaped by contrasting voices from Tarik Skubal and Jack Flaherty.

The team’s journey to such a moment has been anything but easy. They have gone through a vital late-season collapse that nearly cost the Tigers the division. However, the team clawed its way into the postseason through MLB’s wild-card round. The Tigers’ nearly two-week road trip became a reason for celebration, and they ground their way across teams from the Guardians to the Red Sox and now the Mariners. Such a long journey comes with fatigue. However, travelling also helps to build a bond. A.J. Hinch has kept the team united and turned a shaky September into an unexpected playoff surge.

Now, as the series has shifted to Detroit for the upcoming 2 games, everyone is focusing on Flaharty, who will take the field in Tuesday’s vital matchup. “It’s going to be a lot of fun,” Flaherty said. “Hometown games are incredible. Playoff games in general are incredible. You get to be at home, get the home crowd behind you.” The star’s excitement highlights what Tigers fans have been waiting for: October baseball at Comerica Park. The Tigers now have the home-field advantage, which could be the difference-maker.

However, not everyone in the team is satisfied with the Tigers‘ current situation. Tarik Skubal provided a statement after the 3-2 loss of the Tigers to the Mariners. “I think we did our job,” Skubal said. “We have homefield advantage now. So obviously you want to win every single game, but that’s just not reality. That’s kind of impossible to do. I don’t think that’s ever happened. It’s not that we’re satisfied going home 1-1, but I like to think optimistically, not kind of glass-half-full in that sense.” The star’s statement underlines the fine balance between optimism and accountability that defines the team’s run.

Such a balance will be tested at home. The Tigers’ offense has been shaky and is relying on airtight pitching and defense. The margin for error is thin, specifically against the Mariners, who have highlighted their capability to flip the game. However, after weeks of road trip, the Tigers are now returning to their home where they will face their fans and, for Tarik Skubal, their laundry machine. This moment could reset the team’s momentum, and Comerica Park is going to be electric, and if Flaharty can harness the power of the home crowd, the Tigers could go one step further to their first ALCS since 2013.

The team could be going to hit their home ground; however, standing in the Tigers’ way is the Mariners, who have established a knack for flipping tables in October. Game 2 reaction was not just a win, it is as a vital statement that the current series will not be dictated by pitching reputation only.

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What the

Mariners showed in the last game was more than just resilience. It was their strategic power that defined their season. The team has shown time and again that the Mariners can dismantle “win days” effectively for rival teams, the games in which a star is expected to dominate. Game 2’s 3-2 win over the Tigers was the Mariners’ third win this season against Tarik Skubal, and by this, the team has shown that they are not easily intimidated by elite stars. It is a behavior that has carried the Mariners through vital games and provided the team with an edge in tight moments.

Their capability to grind out wins against top-tier pitchers could become the deciding aspect in this series. Through 2025, the Mariners have handed losses to some best MLB stars, including Paul Skenes, Nathan Eovaldi, Garrett Crochet, Max Fried, and Jacob deGrom. This is not related to home; it is related to experience. Some stars on this roster have grown accustomed to close games and high-stakes matchups, and it is a characteristic that can neutralize home-field advantage.

As the ALDS shifts to Detroit, the stage is perfectly set for a dramatic game. The Tigers return home with momentum to regain and a crowd ready to roar, while the Mariners arrive equipped with the confidence of a team that thrives in pressure spots.