Guardians 7, Tigers 3: Cleveland cracks the Skubal code

The Detroit Tigers‘ magical run finally came to an end on Saturday. A pretty classic Game 5 saw a shocking Lane Thomas grand slam against Tigers’ ace Tarik Skubal in the bottom of the fifth inning, and that was the difference. The Guardians held off some late threats to win 7-3 and earn the right to take on the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series.

The Tigers battled, but they just couldn’t find the answering shot to pick up their ace. There were plenty of tense at-bats late, and a couple of big hits for the Tigers, but ultimately that slam put them too deep in a hole against a great Cleveland bullpen. The Tigers hit three balls off the wall in this one. Thomas cleared the wall. That was the difference, and those big homers from Thomas, and David Fry in Game 4, really told the tale as both teams pitched really well and battled out their at-bats throughout the series.

The Tigers will head home after a very successful season and the most shocking and exciting stretch drive in team history. We’re sad to see it end, but it’s been an absolute blast and we can only thank the 2024 Tigers for one heck of a good time. They’ve got experience and plenty to build on with a young roster, a really good farm system, and a very low payroll. Now it’s Scott Harris’ job to bolster the rotation and most importantly, to find them a good deal more power in the lineup in 2025.

Blow-by-blow

With everything on the line, the Tigers got out to a frustrating start against old frenemy Matt Boyd. AJ Hinch stocked his lineup with right-handers to try and jump Boyd for an early lead. Turn over a lead to Tarik Skubal and you’re feeling quite good about things. It just didn’t work out that way.

Justyn-Henry Malloy was in the leadoff spot and he got plunked to start the game. Matt Vierling struck out, but Riley Greene stayed disciplined and Boyd didn’t really want any part of him. Greene walked, and the Tigers were in business. They were quickly put out of business as Andy Ibáñez and Wenceel Pérez flailed at Boyd’s fastball and each struck out.

Tarik Skubal took the mound and the ultra pesky Steven Kwan slapped a one-hopper off the mound. The deflection ate up Trey Sweeney at shortstop and he couldn’t handle it cleanly. Once again, Kwan was on base. Of course, Skubal was on the mound and so David Fry quickly got punched out. Jose Ramirez lined out to Pérez in right field, and Lane Thomas grounded out to Sweeney to send us to the second inning.

In the second, Spencer Torkelson couldn’t handle Boyd’s fastball either and struck out. Parker Meadows came through, flaring an opposite field drive into the left field corner for a double. That knock tied Tigers legend Charlie Gehringer with a seven game hit streak to start his postseason career, the longest in team history.

And finally we saw some aggression on the bases as Meadows took advantage of Boyd’s elaborate delivery to steal third base. Things were looking good, but Jake Rogers lifted a shallow fly ball to Jhonkensy Noel in right field. The strong arm of Noel kept Meadows from tagging and scoring, and Sweeney struck out like he was seeing ghosts.

A very frustrating start.

Skubal tore through Noel and got weak contact from the Naylor’s for a quick bottom of the second. By that point, Boyd was out of the game after striking out five, walking one, hitting a batter, and allowing just one hit. Stephen Vogt went to his second best reliever in Cade Smith to take over in the third, looking to ensure that the Tigers wouldn’t get Skubal a lead to work with.

Smith got a ground out from Malloy on a nice play from Bryan Rocchio at shortstop. Matt Vierling flew out and it was up to Riley Greene. The Tigers really need Greene to get hot but it didn’t happen here as Smith blew him away. Greene whiffed on three heaters in that at bat and we were on to the bottom of the third.

A high slider carved up Andres Giméñez for Skubal’s third strikeout to start things off, but Rocchio got a slider as well and lined a single to left. We hadn’t seen many sliders from Skubal so far in the postseason. The situation was not ideal with Kwan and the top of the order coming up. Skubal kept a close eye on Rocchio to keep the double play in order, while getting ahead of Kwan 0-2. Kwan fought back and lined a slicing drive down the left field line. Riley Greene looked like he had a bead on it but with the wall looming he just clanged it off his glove in fair territory. Rocchio, like everyone, expected it to be caught and held to tag up, so he didn’t score but it was second and third with one out. Steven Kwan is a pain.

Skubal dialed up 100 mph and blew away Steven Frey, and that allowed them to intentionally walk Jose Ramirez. Bases loaded. Two outs. Lane Thomas at the plate. It was only the third inning but the game felt like it was on the line already. Skubal jammed the right-handed hitter with a 99 mph on the hands and popped him up. We breathed a sign of relief.

Hopefully that error would kick Riley Greene in the backside and get the bat going.

With Boyd out, the fourth inning opened with Colt Keith taking over for Ibáñez at second base. Smith’s riding heater was too much for him as he chased a two-strike heater away for strike three. Pérez was dispatched by 97 mph down the middle as the Tigers continue to swing right under the fastball. Smith’s big extension and the ride on that thing make it one of the better fourseamers around.

Boyd had 11 whiffs in two innings of work. Smith had 11 as well as he looked to close out the fourth. On the other hand, the Tigers had some traffic going. Like the Guardians, they hadn’t been able to cash in their opportunities.

However, they finally got a good at-bat as Spencer Torkelson fought off a couple of tough pitches, battling into a 3-2 count, and then roasted a fastball up in the zone off the big wall in left field for a two-out double.

With Parker Meadows at the plate, Vogt came out to get Smith and turned to left-handed Erik Sabrowski instead. The Tigers center fielder got ahead in the count, but then fouled off a pair of tough pitches. Sabrowski missed high, and it was 3-2. Meadows fouled off another heater in the zone as Kwan played Meadows toward the left field line. Sabrowski missed away with a breaking ball, and Meadows walked. Vogt probably didn’t mind that outcome with Jake Rogers next.

Of course, Rogers best matchup is against a lefty without big velocity. The Tigers needed a knock. Meanwhile, Kerry Carpenter looked ready to pinch-hit and was stalking the dugout. His availability was no longer in question, but AJ Hinch would probably get just one shot with him. Rogers got into a 2-2 count, but he grounded out to Rocchio, stranding another two runners.

Skubal got a shallow fly out from Josh Naylor to start the bottom of the fourth. That brought powerful right-handed hitting Noel to the dish and Skubal was careful with him and fell behind 3-1 for the first time in the game. A nasty changeup froze Noel for strike two, and he then popped out to Keith in shallow center field. Bo Naylor flew out to left field, and Skubal was through four on 57 pitches.

Right-handed Andrew Walters took over in the fifth for just his second inning of the series. Trey Sweeney put together a patient AB and drew a walk. That brought Kerry Carpenter to the dish. Walters was struggling to find the zone, and fell behind 3-0. A fastball down the middle brought a swing and a miss, but Carpenter got another heater in the same spot and he hammered it off the base of the right field wall. Trey Sweeney was off like a shot and raced all the way around from first to score just an instant ahead of the tag. 1-0 Tigers.

Kerry Bonds? More like Kerry Gibson. Carpenter was clearly hobbling down to first base, but they didn’t lift him for a pinch-runner as he had the DH spot available and everything was on the line in this one. Matt Vierling stepped to the dish and flailed at a high fastball in a 3-2 count for strike three. Vierling was not having a good series. Lefty Tim Herrin took over and quickly got Greene to ground into a double play. The only saving grace was that Carpenter didn’t have to try to run, and looked able to take another AB later on.

Skubal quickly surrendered a single to Giméñez, but struck out Rocchio. That brought Steven Kwan back to the dish. The ump missed a low strike two on a fake bunt attempt, and Kwan then lined a 1-1 fastball into left field for a single. Once again David Fry came to the dish in a big spot, but Skubal had already punched him out twice. With Jose Ramirez on deck, this was a huge hitter for the Tigers ace to get. Meanwhile, his pitch count had climbed into the low 70’s.

Fry hit a little dribbler to second base off the end of his bat, and with Keith playing near second base, he couldn’t make the play. Arguably Torkelson should have played it himself, but it was just a perfectly placed swinging bunt, and that brought Jose Ramirez to the dish with the bases loaded. Skubal wasn’t going to let him extend his arms and fired a 100 mph fastball inside to jam him. Instead, it drilled Ramirez in the left forearm and forced in the tying run. 1-1 game. That was the first run Skubal had allowed since the first inning against the Royals on September 18. And the dam would now burst.

Chris Fetter came out to give Skubal a minute to compose himself. It didn’t help. A 97 mph first pitch sinker was right down the middle to Lane Thomas, and he killed it, lifting a grand slam over the left field wall. Unbelievable. Skubal got Josh Naylor to ground out, and Noel popped out, but it was 5-1 Guardians.

A pair of singles, a swinging bunt, a hit batter, and then a Lane Thomas blast. That would be the tale of the tape for the end of the Tigers season without another comeback.

Ferrin was still on the mound in the sixth, and quickly dispatched a badly scuffling Keith on strikes. Pérez lined out to Giméñez at second base, and it was up to Torkelson. Spencer came through, ripping another double, this time into the left field corner. With Hunter Gaddis and Emmanuel Clase looming, the Tigers really needed another big knock to get back into this one.

Parker Meadows was the right guy to have up. A wild pitch clanged off Bo Naylor’s glove and Torkelson took third base. Meadows worked ahead 3-1 in the count as Herrin wouldn’t give him much to hit, and another fastball sailed wide to put Meadows on first base.

That was it for Herrin. With Jake Rogers at the dish, Vogt came out and called on Gaddis to take over. The Tigers catcher came through big in a 2-2 count, drilling a line drive single to right field to score Torkelson and get Meadows to third. 5-2 Guardians, as Trey Sweeney stepped to the dish with Carpenter in the on deck circle. The Tigers really needed another knock.

Gaddis got a nasty whiff on a changeup 1-1, but then yanked a slider almost at Sweeney’s feet and floated a changeup high for a full count. Getting Carpenter to the dish felt imperative. Sweeney fouled off a pair of fastballs, and at very least they were wearing through Gaddis and it was only the sixth inning. Gaddis then yanked another one to walk Sweeney and load the bases.

Carl Willis came out to talk to Gaddis. Presumably the message was don’t let this guy kill us again. Carpenter dug in, and the stress levels were through the roof. The Tigers clutch magic over the last 10 weeks has been downright incredible, and they needed it now.

Carpenter fouled off a 1-1 fastball down the gut and Gaddis climbed the ladder and got him to swing through it for strike three. Huge pitch for the Guardians, and while the Tigers were battling, adding on there felt like a must. The only solace was that someone other than Gaddis and Clase would have to throw an inning to close it out.

Bo Naylor, Giméñez, and Rocchio quickly went down in order in the bottom of the sixth. Skubal ended the inning at 84 pitches, so he was good for at least the seventh.

Gaddis dotted a swing back changeup away to Vierling for a generous strike three call to start the inning. Riley Greene lashed a single to right field as Gaddis’ pitch count climbed above 30 to Colt Keith. Of all the better Tigers hitters, Vierling and Keith were the two contributing the least, and they needed a big knock here. They got it. Keith crushed a 1-1 high fastball off the wall in straightaway center field for an RBI double, and the Tigers weren’t done yet. 5-3 Guardians.

That swing knocked out Gaddis, and got the Tigers a matchup against right-hander Eli Morgan. Clase could probably get the Guardians six outs, but we saw how he faded in a low appearance earlier in the series. The Tigers needed another knock to close the gap to one run.

Wenceel Pérez was up with a chance to do something big against a depth reliever for the Guardians. He couldn’t get it done as three straight fastballs dusted him abruptly. That left it up to Torkelson. A nasty changeup got a 0-1 whiff, but Tork took a pair of pitches away to work the count even. Morgan just missed with a changeup just down and away. Full count. Another swing-back changeup dropped just into the top of the zone and totally locked up Torkelson. Heck of a gutsy, and dangerous pitch. No one saw that one coming.

That spelled doom, as Clase was coming on to get six outs. He’s not infallible, as the Tigers have proven, but they already scored four off the ace closer in the series. Asking more than one run was tough, but as we were seeing, these hitters have seen each other’s bullpens a lot already and the familiarity was tipping things toward the offenses.

Will Vest took over for the Tigers, and Steven freaking Kwan, which is now his official name, lined a leadoff single to right field to start the bottom of the seventh. Vest has thrown little but gas in the series. It was time for a wrinkle, and a good slider down and away struck out David Fry. That brought Jose Ramirez to the dish and this was a crucial AB for Vest and the Tigers.

Ramirez just chopped a high bouncer that got over Torkelson and into right field. Colt Keith was an inch from snaring it and holding Kwan at second, but like too many balls in this one for Cleveland, it had eyes, and so it was first and third with one out. Thomas sliced a little bouncer off the end of the bat to the right side and Keith fielded it but had no chance to get the runner and slipped on his pivot anyway. 6-3 Guardians.

Doom.

The powerful Josh Naylor was up next and Hinch was immediately out of the dugout to call for Tyler Holton. The Tigers lefty carved up Naylor on a swinging strike three with some good sliders away. That brought the right-handed power-hitting Noel to the dish. Holton fell behind, but a pair of good cutters inside evened the count. Noel fought off another one, but a curveball got a ground out to Sweeney to end the rally.

That was a huge run for Cleveland. Six outs left for the Tigers to do something crazy.

With an expanded lead, Vogt didn’t have to push Clase hard. Instead, Eli Morgan came back out to start the eighth as Austin Hedges took over from Naylor behind the dish for defensive reasons. Parker Meadows led off and Morgan promptly walked him. That was it as the final showdown began. Emmanuel Clase made his entrance needing six outs to defend a three-run lead to send the Guardians to the ALCS against the New York Yankees.

High drama time perhaps, but those couple of cheap hits from the Guardians in the seventh would loom large. Both teams had their chances to blow this game open. The Tigers struggling with Boyd hurt their chances as they really needed to put the Guardians under pressure against Skubal. Thomas’ grand slam was a game-changer, but the Tigers had plenty of baserunners. They just couldn’t get those seeing-eye ground balls.

Meadows was bound to run as Rogers stepped into the batter’s box. On an 0-1 pitch Meadows broke for second and stole it easily. They had to get Meadows in to force a long, exhausting outing on Clase. Unfortunately, a liner from Rogers was snared on a leaping play from Rocchio for the first out. Trey Sweeney lifted a short fly ball into shallow left field for the second out, and that left it to the big dog, Kerry Carpenter.

Clase yanked a 102 mph cutter for ball one. Carpenter got jammed with 100 mph and swung through it. Another one up and in drew a second whiff, and Carp needed to shorten up and drive the run in. He fouled off another tough 101 mph cutter just in off the plate, and it banged off his own foot. Carpenter collected himself and Clase fired another one on the inner edge that got fouled away. No sliders from Clase to Carpenter this time. Another cut fastball missed away for a 2-2 count. Another one inside was fought off for a foul. This was a real big-time battle. Power on power. Unfortunately, Clase won out, firing one more heater for a swinging strike three.

Ballgame.

Holton allowed a one-out Giméñez double in the bottom of the eighth, and Bryan Rocchio spanked a grounder back up the middle and through for an RBI single. 7-3 Guardians. Holton punched out Kwan, and Hinch turned to Beau Brieske as David Fry stepped into the batter’s box. Brieske got a ground out to Sweeney to put the inning to bed, but the task was now to score at least four against Clase, who had thrown 15 pitches in the eighth. Extending some ABs was an absolute must to produce a miracle.

Matt Vierling was first and had nothing yet again in this one. He watched a nasty slider for strike three, and Riley Greene grounded out to second on the first pitch he saw. That left it up to Keith. Clase fired strike one with the cutter, then missed high for a 1-1 count. Keith fouled off a 97 mph cutter, and you could see the velocity declining. However, the Tigers were out of time. Clase missed again for a 2-2 count, but a slider was grounded to second base, and the Guardians were headed to the ALCS.

The Tigers were feeling good heading into Game 4, but let it slip away. Still, with Skubal on the mound you liked their chances in this one. Kudos to Cleveland for fighting back and becoming the first team in a long while to really take it to Skubal.

This really hurts and that’s an experience we haven’t had in a long while. It’s been an amazing run, but there’s never much consolation when you lose in October. We can definitely take solace in the fact that the future looks very bright for the Detroit Tigers.

For now, congrats to the Cleveland Guardians. Hopefully this is the beginning of a great rivalry between the two squads.

Thanks to all our readers for taking the ride with us this season. We’ll be back at it soon, exploring their options to improve the roster and take the next step in 2025.

Guardians 7, Tigers 3