The Tigers put rookie starter Keider Montero on the mound for the first postseason appearance of his career in Game 3 against the Guardians, but he certainly wasn’t assured of a traditionally long start due to the way AJ Hinch has managed his pitchers (only Tarik Skubal gets that privilege).

Sure enough, Montero was more of an opener than a starter, pitching one quick inning before being replaced by Brant Hurter, who came in with a 1-0 lead thanks to an RBI single by Riley Greene. Hurter ran into some trouble in the third, when he gave up a single to Steven Kwan, which was converted into a double on an error by Trey Sweeney. Hereafter, Hinch decided to give José Ramírez a free base to set up two. But Josh Naylor grounded out to end the inning and keep Detroit ahead.

Matt Vierling scored another run with a sacrifice fly in the third, Hurter easily got through the fourth, then was relieved in the fifth after allowing back-to-back singles with one out. Beau Brieske, one of the brightest lights in the Tigers’ dominant bullpen, capped it all off with a strikeout and a flyout.

Brieske got through the sixth unscathed, striking out Jhonkensy Noel to start the inning. The Guardians sent in a pinch hitter in Angel Martínez, a switch-hitter, and Hinch went back to his bullpen to play matchups, calling up lefty Sean Guenther.

And then things started to get tricky.

Tigers gain lead over Guardians in ALDS with win in Game 3 thanks to great play by Matt Vierling to save Sean Guenther’s day

Guenther got pinch hitter Martínez to ground out, but then walked Brayan Rocchio and Kwan to give a two-man lead with two outs. The Tigers led by three runs at the time, thanks to an RBI double by Spencer Torkelson (first goal of the postseason), but David Fry had a chance to spoil the score.

Guenther was rightly pulled away and Fry took on Will Vest. Fry swung above the zone on a change and hit it well; it sailed toward left field and looked like it had enough room to clear Vierling’s head at third.

But Vierling said “not today,” and he leapt into the air, stretching fully to hold him and keep him from hitting the grass in the outfield. Inning over.

The Guardians never came this close to a scoring opportunity again. Vest stayed eighth before falling out with Tyler Holton to end the match. Holton sent the Guardians back down in order, and his final out was a perfect three-pitch strikeout of Austin Hedges.

The Tigers officially lead this series 2-1 with one game remaining in Comerica. The crowd on Wednesday afternoon was absolutely raucous, and the Guardians have now gone 20 consecutive postseason innings without scoring. Let’s continue that on Thursday, okay? Playing out in front of the home crowd would be something else.