The AL Central inner division rivals, Guardians and Detroit Tigers, faced off in a Game 5 winner-take-all ALDS series matchup in Cleveland on Saturday afternoon.
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With CY Young candidate Tarik Skubal (18-4, 2.39 ERA) on the mound, the Guardians had to find ways to create scoring opportunities.
To point out, coming into today's game, Skubal had went 24 consecutive innings (including regular season) without surrendering a run. Then after pitching four scoreless innings, the Tribe found themselves with a golden opportunity in the bottom of the 5th, as the bases were loaded.
In view of how it happened, the Tigers scored in the Top of the 5th inning, to make the score 1-0.
Guardians' Andres Gimenez answered by getting things started with a single, then lead-off hitter Steven Kwan (3 hits in three straight games) singled with a line drive to left field, while David Fry hit an infield single.
So the Guardians had their best hitter, Jose Ramirez, coming up to the plate with bases loaded and one out.
After being intentionally walked to load the bases in his last at-bat, Ramirez found himself being pitched to by Skubal, who he surprisingly has had success hitting against (career .429 average in 21 at-bats). With this in mind, Skubal didn't want to give him anything to hit, so he actually hit him (by accident of course).
Tarik Skubal hits José Ramirez, ending his postseason scoreless streak at 17.1 innings.
🎥 @BRWalkoffpic.twitter.com/T1s4qB0IDG
— The Athletic MLB (@TheAthleticMLB) October 12, 2024
As a result, Ramirez took first and Gimenez scored, to make the score 1-1.
On the most important plate appearance of the season, clean-up hitter Lane Thomas stepped into the batter's box. And just after the announcer said, "bases loaded, Lane Thomas, loves the first pitch," he hit a 96 mph sinker to left-centerfield, 396 feet over the wall, as the whole northeast Ohio crowd erupted. The tie was broken, and the score was now 5-1.
LANE THOMAS GRAND SLAM‼️
WHAT A MOMENT. WHAT A SWING.
(via @CleGuardians)pic.twitter.com/X6l5z0czZt
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 12, 2024
The crowd reaction to Lane Thomas' home run is everything 🤩 pic.twitter.com/j1jBzMRtu2
— MLB (@MLB) October 12, 2024
The Tigers did their best to chip away at the lead, but the Guardians ultimately held on thanks to their CY Young candidate closer, Emmanuel Clase, securing the six-out save; the final score was 7-3.
#Postseason #ALDS Game 5 #Guardians 7 #Tigers 3 Final. #Guardians Wins Series 3-2 pic.twitter.com/hftl91N55t
— BIG ED (@NYCKING) October 12, 2024
More work to do, but let's have some fun first.#ForTheLand | #GuardsBall pic.twitter.com/Ir0LvD5YTd
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) October 12, 2024
Now the AL Championship Series matchup is scheduled with the New York Yankees (94-68) set to host Cleveland (92-69) for Game 1 on Monday, October 14 at 7:37 pm ET.
Yankees. Guardians. Ticket to the World Series on the line 🍿
ALCS IS SET 🔥 pic.twitter.com/aXMPihvhbV
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 12, 2024
As many might remember this will be a rematch of the 1998 ALCS matchup, in which the Yankees won the series 4-2.
Related: LA Dodgers Advance To NLCS After Shutting Out San Diego Padres For 24 Consecutive Innings
