DETROIT — It may not have been the loudest crowd, though the volume level certainly went up as the day grew long.

But it definitely was the largest crowd, at this ballpark, for this time of year.

The Tigers announced Wednesday a crowd of 44,885 showed up for Game 3 of the American League Division Series against the Cleveland Guardians, making it the largest paid attendance for a postseason game in Comerica Park history. The previous high was 43,973 for Game of the 2013 ALDS against the Oakland A's.

The crowd also was the largest at Comerica Park this season, as the Tigers treated their fans to a 3-0 victory and a 2-1 series lead, with a potential clincher Thursday. Game 4 is Thursday night at Comerica Park.

"You know, the atmosphere was unbelievable," said Parker Meadows, who continues to be a spark plug for this team, leading off the game with a single and scoring on Riley Greene's two-out hit to make it 1-0 in the first inning.

"Probably close to the loudest game I've been a part of.

"I was getting chills throughout the game. "

Tickets for Games 3 and 4 of the ALDS sold out last week in less than an hour, as Detroit braced to host its first Major League Baseball playoff games in a decade.

Fans were given orange rally towels, and they waved them early and often.

"It was nice to have a home playoff game. We've been in the atmosphere, but it's been opposing fans," Carpenter said. "So the fact that they were for us today was special.

"Before the game, I definitely felt the moment. When I was going up to hit, I was a little locked in. I didn't necessarily hear the crowd, but it was pretty special."

There were several big roars from the crowd in Game 3, though most came well into the game, including on the Spencer Torkelson RBI double in the sixth inning, Matt Vierling's catch on a screaming liner in the seventh inning, and Will Vest's strikeout to end the eighth inning. Then, of course, there was Tyler Holton's strikeout to end the game, triggering a celebration, as Detroit won a playoff game at Comerica Park for the first time since 2013.

There was heavy traffic downtown hours before the game, a block party outside the ballpark for three hours before first pitch, the "Let's Go Tigers!" chants were out early, and the "Don't Stop Believin'" sing-along was raucous late.

The crowd was standing-room only, and they were several deep throughout the far reaches of the ballpark. Game 3 of the ALDS was the 25th postseason game in the history of Comerica Park, which opened in 2000, and didn't host the first playoff game until 2006.

"Electric. You knew it was coming," said Torkelson, whose Tigers were 24th in MLB in average attendance this season, but did see one of the game's best overall increases year over year, from 1.61 million to 1.86 million, thanks in large part to the late surge that got them into the playoffs.

"You knew that they were going to show up and be loud, and they didn't disappoint.

"It's so much fun for us to play in front of that many people screaming."

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