2024-10-08 10:00:02
The Detroit Tigers are riding the wave of momentum they created for themselves by storming their way into the playoffs by becoming the hottest team in the sport during the second half of the year.
Despite many analysts and pundits thinking their storybook run would end against the dynastic Houston Astros in the Wild Card round, they were able to sweep the AL West champs and move on to the ALDS for the first time since 2014.
Game 1 didn’t go as planned, getting in an early hole they couldn’t overcome when losing 7-0.
However, with Tarik Skubal on the mound for the second contest of this AL Central playoff showdown, things felt much differently since their ace is the best starting pitcher on the planet right now.
That’s exactly how he performed too, having a perfect game through four innings where he struck out seven Cleveland Guardians batters and was overpowering one of the best lineups in the sport.
The next frame is where perfection ended after Josh Naylor slugged a one-out double and Skubal hit the subsequent batter to put runners on first and second base.
He got out of the inning by inducing a double play, keeping things scoreless.
But the Tigers’ own offense was having trouble breaking through, going three up, three down in the top of the sixth that put the pressure right back on Skubal to keep things level.
Trouble presented itself again with the same exact scenario playing out, this time with runners on the corners with one out.
Once again, though, Detroit and Skubal got out of the jam with another inning-ending double play that gave this offense another chance to play hero with late-game magic if they could find it.
The Tigers thought that came in the eighth inning when they finally got some traffic of their own following Matt Vierling’s two-out double and when Riley Greene was intentionally walked that caused the Guardians to call upon their superstar closer Emmanuel Clase.
Wenceel Perez looked like he might have come through in the clutch, hitting a liner to left center field before Steven Kwan made an epic diving grab that kept things scoreless even after manager A.J. Hinch challenged the ruling on the field.
With Skubal out of the game, the pressure was on Detroit’s bullpen to continue shutting down Cleveland’s lineup, something Will Vest did in spades with a lineout, strikeout, and fly out.
In the top of the ninth, the Tigers had a chance to come up big in the clutch again after Jake Rogers and Trey Sweeney both produced two-out singles.
Kerry Carpenter seized the moment with a monster, 423-foot blast to right field that gave Detroit a late 3-0 lead.
The Tigers went to Beau Briske to close things out, and with the Guardians and everyone in Progressive Field stunned about what took place during the top of the frame, he was able to come through with a fly out to center and two straight strikeouts to even the series.
Detroit will now head back home to play a postseason baseball game on Wednesday in front of their fans for the first time since 2014 thanks to a dominant pitching performance from their ace and bullpen, and another clutch hit from their lineup.
