CLEVELAND — Fans packed Progressive Field in Cleveland Friday for Game 1 of the MLB Wild Card Series between the Guardians and Tampa Bay Rays.

What You Need To Know

  • The Cleveland Guardians take on the Tampa Bay Rays in the MLB Wild Card Series this weekend at Progressive Field

  • This best-of-three playoff series is taking place in Cleveland on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, if a third game is needed

  • Destination Cleveland estimates each postseason game in Cleveland could bring upwards of $1M of direct spending into the city

This best-of-three playoff series is taking place in Cleveland on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, if a third game is needed.

Thousands of fans flocked to the city to catch the playoff games in person, with some saying they traveled from far across the country, giving the City of Cleveland a financial win.

“When we do well, in this case with the Guardians going to the playoffs, it adds such a great deal,” said David Gilbert, president and CEO of Destination Cleveland. “You not only will have a full stadium for those games, but you’ll have a much higher percentage of those people coming in from out of town than would normally be here for a game.”

According to Gilbert, each playoff game played here in Cleveland could have a huge impact on the city’s economy. So, even though Guardians’ fans are hoping the team wins the series in the first two games, if Game 3 is needed, it’ll be a bonus economically for Cleveland.

“Depending on the final number of people who are in town for the games and spending the money, it could add up to upwards of $1 million per game of direct new spending into the local economy that wasn’t there before,” Gilbert said.

That makes it an exciting time, not only for fans but for so many area restaurants, bars and hotels that have been struggling to stay afloat the past two years due to the pandemic.

“We still see a lot of restaurants that haven’t reopened although it’s getting much better,” said Gilbert. “But these are the types of things that make sure these businesses that were so hard hit are able to come back.”

And speaking of coming back, Gilbert said he hopes first-time visitors this weekend will love it and make a return to the city in the future.

“It puts Cleveland on a map that if they were not in these games, they would not be on,” he said.

For tickets to the Wild Card Series games in Cleveland or more information on the postseason games, click here.