Guardians score 5 off Tarik Skubal to beat the Tigers and advance to the ALCS, as Lane Thomas delivered a remarkable grand slam that propelled Cleveland to a 7-3 victory in Game 5 of their AL Division Series on Saturday. This win secures the Guardians a spot in the postseason against the New York Yankees.
Cleveland’s upcoming matchup with New York marks the seventh postseason encounter between these two teams, who last faced each other in 2022 when the Yankees ousted the Guardians from the ALDS in a hard-fought five-game series.
The first game is set for Monday in the Bronx.
Thomas amassed an impressive five RBIs for the Guardians, who have defied expectations this season. Under the guidance of first-year manager Stephen Vogt, Cleveland triumphed in the competitive AL Central and now has a chance to break a World Series title drought that has lingered since 1948.
To keep their postseason hopes alive, the Guardians needed to overcome Skubal, a leading contender for the AL Cy Young Award. The left-hander had not allowed a run in 24 consecutive innings, including 17 in this postseason, until the Guardians exploded for five runs against him in the fifth inning, matching his highest runs allowed in 2024.
Cleveland executed its signature “Guards Ball” strategy, loading the bases with three singles, including an infield roller, before Skubal hit All-Star José Ramírez on the left hand, forcing in a crucial run.
This set the stage for Thomas, who had previously hit a three-run homer in Cleveland’s dominant 7-0 win during Game 1. The center fielder, who faced challenges after his July trade from Washington, connected on Skubal’s first pitch, launching it over the 19-foot-high wall in left-center field.
As the ball landed, the Guardians’ dugout erupted, and the passionate, red-clad crowd at Progressive Field celebrated the momentous occasion.
Throughout the season, Vogt relied heavily on his MLB-best bullpen, which showed signs of fatigue during the game.
After Thomas’s grand slam, the Tigers threatened in the sixth, scoring a run on a single by Jake Rogers and loading the bases with two outs. However, Hunter Gaddis struck out Kerry Carpenter, who had previously won Game 2 with a game-winning three-run homer.
Despite their efforts, the Tigers narrowed the gap to 5-3 on Colt Keith’s one-out RBI double in the seventh. Eli Morgan then came in for Cleveland and struck out both batters he faced, maintaining the Guardians’ lead.
Thomas added an RBI single in the eighth, extending Cleveland’s lead to three runs. At this point, Vogt called upon All-Star closer Emmanuel Clase, the AL’s saves leader, to finish the game.
With a series of impressive 100 mph fastballs, Clase secured the final six outs. When he retired Keith on a routine grounder to first base, the Guardians could finally breathe easy and prepare for their first ALCS appearance since 2016.
Skubal suffered his first loss since August 2, while the Tigers, who had a chance to eliminate the Guardians at Comerica Park on Thursday, saw their remarkable late-season surge come to an end in disappointment.
Once out of contention in August, Detroit regrouped and revitalized their season. Sparked by young talent from the minors, the Tigers surged to a 31-13 record after August 11, earning a postseason berth as one of the three AL Central teams to qualify.
Cleveland, on the other hand, seized first place in April and maintained their lead throughout the season. The Guardians emerged as one of the biggest surprises, finishing with 92 wins under Vogt, a former journeyman catcher without prior managerial experience.
Before the game, Vogt expressed confidence that his team was not finished yet.
“It feels like we’re going to New York,” he stated.
And indeed, the Guardians are on their way.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Tigers: Carpenter was absent from the starting lineup due to a hamstring injury sustained in Game 4. The quick turnaround and MLB’s decision to push the start time from 8:08 p.m. to 1:08 left him with limited recovery time. Carpenter did enter the game as a pinch hitter in the fifth, managing to single home Trey Sweeney for an early 1-0 lead.
