The Tigers are playing their 10th winner-take-all game; Here you can find out how they fared

Detroit — That’s what matters.

The Tigers and Cleveland Guardians will play a winner-take-all Game 5 on Saturday night in Cleveland.

The winner advances to the American League Championship Series to face the New York Yankees and the loser travels home.

“Oh, we'll be ready,” Tigers manager AJ Hinch said Thursday night after a 5-4 loss in Game 4 at Comerica Park. “Everything we have been playing for will now take place on Saturday.”

“And I expect them to show up ready to play. Why shouldn’t these two teams bring everything they’ve got?”

This will be the Tigers' 10th winner-take-all postseason game, and they are 5-4 in their previous nine games.

They have won their last three games in three consecutive AL Division Series beginning in the 2010-11 season.

Here's a look back:

▶ 1909 World Series, Game 7 (loss)

The Tigers and Pittsburgh Pirates took turns winning the first six games of the series before Pittsburgh took early command of Game 7 against Bill Donovan at Detroit's Bennett Park, giving Detroit its first World Series title. Ty Cobb, who interestingly hit just one .262 hitter in 17 career postseason games, went 0-4 as the Tigers lost their third straight World Series.

▶ 1934 World Series, Game 7 (loss)

This was Detroit's first return to the World Series since 1909, and the Tigers took control of the series with a 3-2 lead over the St. Louis Cardinals. But they lost Game 6 4-3 and then fell 11-0 in Game 7 at Navin Field in Detroit. The Cardinals sent 13 men to the plate in a seven-run third to beat Charlie Gehringer, Hank Greenberg and Co.

▶ 1940 World Series, Game 7 (loss)

The Tigers and Cincinnati Reds alternated wins in the first six games before the Reds clinched the title with a 2-1 win at Crosley Field in Cincinnati with a two-run seventh inning off Tigers pitcher Bobo Newsom. Charlie Gehringer led off the next inning with a single, leading off Hank Greenberg's turn. From there, the Tigers continued quietly.

▶ 1945 World Series, Game 7 (win)

The Tigers lost an 11-inning thriller to the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field the day before, but rebounded to win Game 7 9-3, securing the franchise's second World Series championship. “Prince” Hal Newhouser, the future Hall of Famer and third consecutive Series starter, won his second game with 10 strikeouts, while Paul Richards had two doubles and four RBIs.

▶ 1968 World Series, Game 7 (win)

The Tigers dug themselves a huge hole before picking up wins in Games 5 and 6 to force a Game 7 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis against Cardinals star Bob Gibson. Jim Northrup's three-run triple in the seventh broke a scoreless tie and Mickey Lolich won for the third time, 4-1, while Detroit became just the third team to win a World Series from a 3-1 hole.

▶ 1972 ALCS, Game 5 (loss)

This Tigers team included remnants of the 1968 World Series championship team, which faced a strong A team and fell 0-2 in the best-of-five series. The Tigers won thrillers in Games 3 and 4 but lost 2-1 at Tiger Stadium. Reggie Jackson stole home for a run and Gene Tenace scored the game-winner to send Billy Martin's Tigers packing.

▶ 2011 ALDS, Game 5 (Win)

The Tigers and New York Yankees took turns winning the first four games, sending the series back to Yankee Stadium for Game 5 – where the Tigers struck out Ivan Nova in the first inning while Don Kelly and Delmon Young singled in back-to-back first innings. Doug Fister started solidly and Max Scherzer, Joaquin Benoit and Jose Valverde secured a 3-2 win.

▶ 2012 ALDS, Game 5 (Win)

The Tigers won the first two games at home, then the A's won the next two at home – with Game 5 at the Oakland Coliseum being played again in the old 2-3 format. Austin Jackson had an RBI double and an RBI single, and Justin Verlander did his best, throwing a complete game shutout in the 6-0 win. Verlander allowed just four hits and struck out 11.

▶ 2013 ALDS, Game 5 (Win)

So nice that the Tigers did it twice – fueled by a war of words between Victor Martinez and Grant Balfour near the end of Game 3, the Tigers won Game 4 and then returned to Oakland for Game 5, where Verlander was back at his best, leaving two Hitting out and yielding 10 hits in eight innings. A limping Miguel Cabrera hit a two-run home run off Sonny Gray in the 3-0 win.

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