CLEVELAND (Interstat) — In a taut, tense opener defined by dominant pitching and a critical late-game defensive stand, the Detroit Tigers edged the Cleveland Guardians 2-1 on Tuesday afternoon in Game 1 of their American League Wild Card Series at Progressive Field.

Left-hander Tarik Skubal was the story, tying a Tigers postseason record with 14 strikeouts over 7 2/3 brilliant innings to set the tone before a crowd of 26,186. Will Vest navigated a harrowing ninth inning to secure the final four outs, pushing Detroit to the brink of advancing to the AL Division Series for the second consecutive year.

The Tigers, who improved to 91-76, can clinch the best-of-three series with a victory in Game 2 on Wednesday. The Guardians, now 92-76, must win to keep their season alive.

From the outset, the game unfolded as a pitchers’ duel, a stark contrast to pregame projections that heavily favored offense. Interstat’s game simulator had forecast a 7-2 Guardians victory, and its ELO system gave Cleveland a 55.6% probability to win, with Detroit installed as a narrow -1.5 favorite on the betting line. The actual output of three total runs fell dramatically under the over/under line of 6.5.

Detroit struck immediately against Cleveland starter Gavin Williams in the first inning. Kerry Carpenter lined a single to right field and advanced to second on a fielding error by Johnathan Rodríguez. Spencer Torkelson then delivered a two-out single to left, scoring Carpenter for a quick 1-0 lead.

That lone run was all the support Skubal would ultimately need, though the margin remained razor-thin. The Guardians tied the game in the fourth in a sequence that required a replay review. After a single by Angel Martínez and a walk to José Ramírez, Skubal recorded two strikeouts to nearly escape the jam. Gabriel Arias then hit a slow grounder back to the mound, and Martínez was initially called out at home on a close play. The Guardians challenged, and the call was overturned, allowing Martínez to score and knot the game at 1-1.

Williams was sharp in his own right, keeping the Tigers off the board after the first inning. He finished with a line of six innings pitched, five hits, no earned runs and eight strikeouts, but was saddled with the loss, falling to 12-6.

Detroit manufactured the decisive run in the seventh against the Cleveland bullpen. Riley Greene led off with a double and advanced to third on a missed catch error by first baseman Jhonkensy Noel. After a strikeout, Zach McKinstry laid down a successful sacrifice bunt, allowing Greene to cross the plate and give the Tigers a 2-1 advantage.

Skubal, who improved to 14-6, continued to mow down the Guardians lineup, striking out the side in the seventh. He was lifted with two outs in the eighth after issuing a walk, having allowed just three hits and one earned run while tying the franchise postseason strikeout record set by Justin Verlander in the 2013 AL Championship Series.

Vest entered and recorded the final out of the eighth before facing a monumental test in the ninth. Ramírez led off with a single and aggressively took third base when Tigers shortstop Javier Báez committed a throwing error on the play, putting the tying run 90 feet away with no outs.

Vest bore down, striking out pinch-hitter George Valera. Kyle Manzardo then hit a sharp grounder back to the mound, and Vest initiated a rundown that resulted in Ramírez being tagged out between third and home for the second out. Vest then induced a game-ending flyout to Báez from C.J. Kayfus to seal the victory and earn his 24th save.

The Guardians bullpen of Hunter Gaddis, Erik Sabrowski, and Cade Smith combined for three innings of hitless, scoreless relief, but the offense could not solve Skubal or Vest. Báez led the Tigers with two of their five hits.

The Tigers now hold a 1-0 series lead in a hard-fought playoff matchup between AL Central rivals, setting the stage for a pivotal Game 2.