CLEVELAND (Interstat) — In a pivotal late-season matchup with playoff implications, the Detroit Tigers snapped a three-game losing streak by building an early lead and holding on for a 4-2 victory over the Cleveland Guardians on Thursday night at Progressive Field.

The win, played before a crowd of 30,942 in 2 hours and 27 minutes, pulled the Tigers even with the Guardians in the overall standings, with both teams now holding identical 86-73 records with just three games remaining in the regular season. The outcome defied pregame projections, as Interstat’s game simulator had forecast a 7-1 Cleveland victory, and its ELO system gave the Guardians a 56 percent probability to win.

Detroit’s offense came out swinging against Cleveland starter Parker Messick, staking an immediate lead that would prove insurmountable. Designated hitter Jahmai Jones set the tone on just the third pitch of the game, launching a solo home run to left field for his seventh of the season. After a groundout, left fielder Wenceel Pérez followed with a towering blast to left-center field, his 13th, to give the Tigers a quick 2-0 advantage before many in the crowd had settled into their seats.

The Tigers added to their lead in the second inning. Catcher Dillon Dingler led off with a double down the right-field line. After two outs were recorded, shortstop Javier Báez, often a source of frustration for Detroit fans this season, came through with a clutch single to right field, scoring Dingler to extend the lead to 3-0.

Cleveland got one run back in the bottom of the second against Detroit starter Troy Melton. Shortstop Gabriel Arias worked a walk, advanced to second on a groundout, and scored on a sharp RBI double by right fielder C.J. Kayfus, cutting the deficit to 3-1.

Detroit responded in the top of the fourth when Riley Greene connected for his 36th home run of the year, a solo shot to right field that restored the three-run cushion at 4-1. That spelled the end of the night for Messick, who was charged with the loss after surrendering all four runs on six hits over five innings, striking out seven but being hurt by the long ball.

From there, the game evolved into a bullpen battle. Melton was effective for Detroit, allowing just one run on two hits over 3 2/3 innings before turning the game over to the relief corps. Brant Hurter, who recorded four outs in the middle innings, was credited with the win, improving his record to 4-3.

The Guardians threatened in the eighth inning against the Tigers’ bullpen. Catcher Austin Hedges led off with a single and advanced to second on a groundout. With two outs, star third baseman José Ramírez delivered an RBI double to center field, scoring Hedges and pulling Cleveland within two runs at 4-2. The hit brought the potential tying run to the plate, but reliever Kyle Finnegan entered and struck out Kyle Manzardo to end the threat.

In the ninth, Detroit turned to closer Will Vest, who was dominant. Vest overpowered the heart of Cleveland’s order, striking out Gabriel Arias, Angel Martínez, and pinch-hitter Bo Naylor in succession on 14 pitches to seal the victory and earn his 22nd save of the season. Vest’s flawless inning, featuring three strikeouts, was the key performance in preserving the win.

Beyond the home runs, Detroit’s offense was led by multi-hit games from Báez and Dingler, as the Tigers collected eight hits total. For Cleveland, Kayfus was the lone bright spot, going 2-for-2 with a pair of doubles and an RBI. The Guardians managed only five hits as a team, struggling to string together rallies against a combination of five Detroit pitchers.

The victory was a crucial one for the Tigers, who had lost the first two games of this four-game series in Cleveland and five of their last six meetings with the Guardians overall. The series concludes Friday before both teams embark on their final regular-season series. Detroit will travel to face the Boston Red Sox, while Cleveland will host the Texas Rangers.

With the win, the Tigers ensured they would leave Cleveland no worse than tied with the Guardians, setting up a dramatic final weekend in the American League playoff race. The total combined score of six runs fell under the pregame over/under line of 7.5.