2024-10-08 20:25:05
The Detroit Tigers equalized in the ALDS against the Cleveland Guardians thanks to Kerry Carpenter’s game-winning three-run home run in the 9th inning.
Kerry Carpenter gave the Tigers a 3-0 lead with a clutch three-run home run in the top of the ninth inning. Carpenter capped off a two-out rally with a 423-foot shot to right field for the first lead of the game. Jake Rogers and Trey Sweeney kept the inning alive with two-out singles off Emmanuel Clase, and Carpenter delivered the decisive strike. Tarik Skubal struck out seven of the first 12 batters he faced and held Cleveland’s offense in check with seven scoreless innings in a masterful start before Will Vest and Beau Brieske closed it out of the bullpen.
The Tigers entered Game 2 on Monday in an 0-1 hole in the best-of-five series after dropping Game 1, 7-0, but now return to Comerica Park with a win and home-field advantage in the series. The win forced at least a Game 4, which would take place Thursday night in Detroit. Game 3 is scheduled for 3:08 p.m. Wednesday.
The Guardians jumped to a 5-0 lead before an out was recorded in the first inning of Game 1 and the Tigers’ offense was shut down by Cleveland’s pitching, led by starter Tanner Bibee. The Tigers’ bullpen strategy did not work in Game 1, but Detroit should not have to operate the same way with Skubal on the mound.
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Kerry Carpenter just hit the biggest home run of his life.
With two outs in the top of ninth inning, Kerry Carpenter turned on a slider down the heart of the plate and crushed a 423-foot no-doubter into the right field seats in Cleveland. Jake Rogers started the rally with a two-out single, followed by a Trey Sweeney single into the gap to give Carpenter the chance to play hero.
Cleveland brought in Emmanuel Clase, the best closer in baseball, with two runners on and two outs in the eighth to face Wenceel Pérez. Pérez slapped an inside cutter the opposite way to left field and Steven Kwan made a diving catch to end the threat. The ball nearly hit the ground, but it was ruled out and stood that way after video review. The ball took a bounce, but seemed to hit the leather of Kwan’s glove.
Will Vest came in to relieve Tarik Skubal and produced a 1-2-3 inning. Will Brennan lined out and Andres Gimenez struck out on a fastball. Kyle Manzardo pinch hit with two outs and sent a charge deep to left-center, but Parker Meadows made a leaping grab at the wall.
Tarik Skubal produced another 1-2-3 inning with two groundouts and a lineout. He is now at 92 pitches through seven innings with eight strikeouts and three hits allowed. In the top of the inning, Jake Rogers walked, but that was the only thing the Tigers could muster.
Tarik Skubal keeps on delivering.
Facing another jam, the Tigers ace produced a second straight inning-ending double play. Brayan Rocchio reached on a seeing-eye double down the left-field line, followed by a Steven Kwan single the opposite way to put runners on the corners with one out. After a mound visit, Skubal got the ground ball he needed, inducing a slow chopper to Trey Sweeney with an inside fastball. Sweeney whipped it to Colt Keith, who got it to a stretching Spencer Torkelson to turn the double play.
Colt Keith popped out, Riley Greene ground out and Wenceel Perez struck out on a high fastball in another quiet inning for the Tigers’ offense.
Justyn-Henry Malloy seemingly had a double down the right-field line, but Jhonkensy Noel spun on a dime and delivered a strike to throw him out sliding into second base. Boyd was pulled with two outs and Cade Smith came in and struck out Matt Vierling with a low fastball.
Skubal’s perfect game ended on Josh Naylor’s one-out double in the bottom of the inning. He then hit Jhonkensy Noel on the knuckles with an inside fastball, but got out of the jam instantly with an inning-ending double play from Andres Gimenez on the first pitch.
Wenceel Perez started the inning with a leadoff double and moved over to third on a Spencer Torkelson flyout the next at-bat, but the bottom of the Tigers’ order couldn’t push the run in. Parker Meadows chased and missed on a slider in the dirt and Jake Rogers whiffed on an inside fastball to end the threat without a run.
Skubal continued his dominant start. The top of the Guardians order went down 1-2-3 the second time up with groundouts from Steven Kwan and David Fry, and a quick strikeout against Jose Ramirez with another low changeup. Skubal is at 51 pitches with seven strikeouts with no runners on base through four.
The Tigers threatened with the first runner in scoring position, but Andy Ibáñez flew out to left and Riley Greene rolled over an inside sinker for a ground out. Justyn-Henry Malloy pulled a one-out single and Matt Vierling reached on a walk in a nine-pitch at-bat. Matthew Boyd has thrown 52 pitches with two hits and two walks allowed through three innings.
Skubal continued to mow through the Guardians. He struck out the side of Andres Gimenez, Austin Hedges and Brayan Rocchio with three different pitches to navigate the third. He got Gimenez to swing through a low slider, Hedges to miss on a changeup and froze Rocchio with a fastball at the knees. Through one turn of Cleveland’s lineup, Skubal has six strikeouts with no runners allowed on 43 pitches.
Lane Thomas and Josh Naylor flew out and Jhonkensy Noel whiffed on a low changeup for another quick inning from Skubal. Parker Meadows recorded the Tigers’ first hit with a two-out infield single down the third-base line, but Jake Rogers flew out the next at-bat.
Tarik Skubal was ready for the top of the Guardians lineup. He struck out Steven Kwan looking on a 98 mph fastball at the knees to start his outing, followed by a quick David Fry groundout to third. José Ramírez pushed him in a seven-pitch at-bat, but Skubal got him to chase a changeup in the dirt to end the inning.
The Tigers were hitless against Matthew Boyd in the first inning. Matthew Vierling worked a one-out walk, but Andy Ibáñez watched a low changeup for strike three and Riley Greene flew out.
Manager A.J. Hinch is rolling with lots of right-handed hitting to face Boyd. Rookie DH Justyn-Henry Malloy is leading off, followed by Matt Vierling and Andy Ibáñez before the first lefty, Riley Greene, batting cleanup. Six of the Tigers starters will bat right-handed to counter Boyd.
“He’s at the top of the order because he’s a real threat against left-handed pitching,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said Tuesday afternoon of Malloy.
Jared Ramsey, Detroit Free Press: Colt Keith provides a spark with a go-ahead RBI as a pinch-hitter off the bench. The pick: Tigers 4, Guardians 2.
The Tigers could not get anything going in Game 1 after finding all the right buttons to push in the wild-card series against Houston. Normally reliable opener Tyler Holton got knocked around and Reese Olson gave up a three-run home run on his first pitch that made it 5-0 Cleveland, in the first inning, and Detroit had little chance of recovering at the plate.
Detroit will try to square the series at 1-all with Skubal on the mound. He has made 13 starts following a loss this season, carrying a 9-4 record in those games. He hopes to do the same Monday for the second playoff win of his career after starting the playoff run with six scoreless innings against Houston. Skubal will be in line to start Game 5 if the series goes the distance.
On the other side, Cleveland will have an old friend in Boyd starting. Boyd was one of Skubal’s first mentors and friends when joining the major league roster in 2020 and continued that relationship through 2023, until he joined Cleveland. The lefty is 2-2 with a 2.72 ERA this season since coming back from the injured list after last year’s Tommy John surgery and will be looking to put Cleveland a win away from advancing before returning to Comerica Park.
Jake Rogers (C), Dillon Dingler (C), Andy Ibáñez (2B/3B), Colt Keith (2B), Jace Jung (3B), Zach McKinstry (UTIL), Trey Sweeney (SS), Spencer Torkelson (1B), Matt Vierling (3B/OF), Riley Greene (OF), Parker Meadows (CF), Kerry Carpenter (OF/DH), Wenceel Pérez (OF), Justyn-Henry Malloy (DH/OF), Beau Brieske (RHP), Jason Foley (RHP), Sean Guenther (LHP), Brenan Hanifee (RHP), Tyler Holton (LHP), Brant Hurter (LHP), Jackson Jobe (RHP), Ty Madden (RHP), Keider Montero (RHP), Reese Olson (RHP), Tarik Skubal (LHP), Will Vest (RHP).
Jared Ramsey is a sports reporter for the Detroit Free Press covering the city’s professional teams, the state’s two flagship universities and more. Follow Jared on X @jared_ramsey22, and email him at jramsey@freepress.com.
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