Guardians Defeat Tigers, Advance to ALCS

Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images

October 12, 2024

Guardians 7, Tigers 3

The Cleveland Guardians ended the Detroit Tigers‘ postseason run, beating them, 7–3, in the winner-take-all Game Five of the ALDS on Saturday at Progressive Field in Cleveland. A grand slam by Lane Thomas did the trick, putting the Guardians ahead for good. With this victory, the Guardians have earned a spot in the American League Championship Series against the New York Yankees, which will get underway on Monday evening on TBS. First pitch is scheduled for 7:38 pm Eastern at Yankee Stadium in New York. Both teams have yet to announce their starting pitchers.

Pitchers’ Duel Through Four

The game remained in a scoreless tie until the top of the fifth. Trey Sweeney led off the frame with a walk against Guardians reliever Andrew Walters. On deck was Kerry Carpenter, pinch-hitting for Justyn-Henry Malloy. Sweeney scored the Tigers’ first run of the afternoon from first on a single to right by Carpenter.

The Guardians took control in the bottom of the fifth off Tigers starter Tarik Skubal. Andres Gimenez led things off with a single to left moments before Brayan Rocchio struck out swinging. They loaded the bases thanks to back-to-back singles by Steven Kwan and David Fry, Kwan to left and Fry to second base. Skubal forced in the tying run, represented by Gimenez, when he hit Jose Ramirez with a pitch. Up next was Thomas, who gave the Guardians a 5–1 lead on the first pitch he saw with a towering grand slam to left-center.

Back and Forth

The Tigers inched closer in the top of the sixth. Spencer Torkelson reached on a double to left and advanced to third on a wild pitch by Guardians reliever Tim Herrin. A walk to Parker Meadows brought Guardians manager Stephen Vogt to the mound to bring in Hunter Gaddis to relieve Herrin. Up next was Jake Rogers, who plated Torkelson with a sharp single to right.

The Tigers’ final run of 2024 came in the top of the seventh. Riley Greene, who singled to right earlier in the frame, scored on a double to center by Colt Keith.

The Guardians scored again in the bottom of the seventh off Tigers reliever Will Vest. Kwan opened the inning with a single to right. After Fry struck out swinging, Kwan sprinted to third on a single to right by Ramirez. Thomas drove in Kwan with a infield single that was out of the reach of Keith at second. They added some more insurance in the bottom of the eighth against reliever Tyler Holton. After Austin Hedges struck out swinging to lead off, Gimenez put himself in scoring position with a double to right. Rocchio plated him with a single to center.

What Went Right for the Guardians

Saturday was a must-win situation for both teams, and the Guardians were the team still standing at the end of the day. The grand slam by Thomas put the game out of reach for the Tigers. The hit-by-pitch to Ramirez that forced in Gimenez helped as well, as did the RBI single by Rocchio.

What Went Wrong for the Guardians

The Guardians were able to limit the damage, but they caused some as well. The RBI hits by Rogers, Keith, and Greene made things interesting between these two teams.

Skubal Finishes Strong

He may have taken the loss on Saturday, but Tarik Skubal finished his 2024 season by giving the bullpen a much-needed breather. Skubal pitched six innings, giving up five runs, all earned, on six hits. One of those hits was the grand slam by Thomas. He walked one and struck out six. He finishes the year with a 1–1 record and a 2.37 ERA in the postseason. Skubal’s record in the regular season was a very impressive 18–4 with an ERA of 2.39.

Strong Relief for Guardians

Lefty Matthew Boyd started Game Five for the Guardians on Saturday. He tossed two innings, giving up one hit and a walk, and he struck out five. The win went to Herrin, who pitched an inning and a third, surrendering one earned run on one hit. He also allowed one walk and struck out one. Aside from the home run column, Herrin’s entire line for the afternoon consisted of ones. His record for the postseason is now 1–0 with an ERA of 2.25.

Vogt’s Postgame Comments

After the game, Vogt was asked if the game went according to the plan that he had originally drawn up. “I think kind of all of the above,” he said. “We had a little bit of a script, but it went pretty close. There were a couple times that we had to kind of go off the script, but at the same time it was ‘watch the game, see what the game is telling us to do.’ Matthew Boyd was outstanding. I think he could have gone longer, but we’ve won with our bullpen all year, and that’s been who we are.”