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ALDS Game 5: Guardians top Tigers, Tarik Skubal 7-3, advance to face Yankees in ALCS

Cleveland's bats finally got to Skubal and the Detroit bullpen in the winner-take-all Game 5

yahoo sports staff
57

It came down to Game 5 for the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Guardians, who faced off Saturday for the chance to advance to the ALCS, where the New York Yankees await.

After a series dominated by pitching and defense, the Guardians' bats finally woke up in this one, even with Detroit ace Tarik Skubal on the mound. A grand slam from Lane Thomas led the way as the Guardians won 7-3 to clinch a spot in their first ALCS since 2016.

Tarik Skubal took the mound for the Tigers looking to build on his brilliant season. He pitched a total of 17 scoreless innings in this postseason, looking virtually unhittable along the way, before the Guardians scored five runs in the fifth inning of Game 5.

Singles from Andres Gimenez, Steven Kwan and David Fry preceded a hit by pitch of Jose Ramirez that scored Cleveland's first run. Thomas followed with his game-changing blast. Skubal finished the sixth inning, having given up five runs on six hits with six strikeouts, but the damage was done.

The Tigers kept battling and got as close as 5-3 before the Guardians tacked on two insurance runs in the late innings. Steven Kwan notched his third three-hit game of this series, and Thomas drove in a total of five runs in the clincher.

For the Guardians, Matthew Boyd pitched the first two innings, and six relievers followed before Emmanuel Clase took over for the final six outs. Clase got Kerry Carpenter swinging in the eighth for his biggest out of the game — and perhaps some revenge from Game 2.

Game 1 of the ALCS is Monday in New York.

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  • Sean Leahy

    Tigers win ALDS Game 5 over Guardians

    Clase gets Keith to ground out to first base, and the Tigers win 7-3 to advance to the ALCS beginning Monday against the Yankees.

  • Sean Leahy

    Two gone ...

    Riley Greene with a slow groundout to first base. Two outs.

  • Sean Leahy

    One away ...

    Clase gets Vierling to strike out looking. One out.

  • Sean Leahy

    Last licks for the Tigers

    Detroit trails 7-3 in the top of the ninth inning. Matt Vierling, Riley Greene and Colt Keith will bat with their season on the line against Emmanuel Clase.

  • Sean Leahy

    AJ Hinch makes a pitching change

    Tyler Holton leaves after 1 1/3 inning. Beau Brieske in now to pitch for the Tigers.

  • Sean Leahy

    Guardians add to their lead

    Bryan Rocchio gets one up the middle to score Andrés Giménez. Cleveland now leads 7-3 in the bottom of the 8th inning.

  • Clase gets it done

    Clase finishes the eighth with three straight outs, including an eight-pitch strikeout of Kerry Carpenter that ended with a swing on a 100.8 mph cutter.

  • Clase coming in for the 8th

    Parker Meadows draws a walk to start the inning, and Stephen Vogt is turning to all-world closer Emmanuel Clase in search of the final six outs.

  • Guardians tack on insurance

    It's 6-3 in the seventh after singles from Kwan, Ramirez and Thomas.

  • Another hit for Kwan

    Steven Kwan leads off the bottom of the seventh with a single.

    This is his third straight three-hit game. He has 11 hits in the series.

  • Eli Morgan ends the threat

    One run is all the Tigers will get in the seventh.

  • Tigers chipping away

    A Riley Greene single followed by a Colt Keith double makes it 5-3 in the seventh.

    These Tigers aren't going down without a fight.

  • 5-pitch inning for Skubal

    The Tigers are letting Skubal continue to roll, and he does so with three quick outs in the bottom of the sixth.

  • Hunter Gaddis gets it done

    Carpenter strikes out swinging on a 96 mph fastball.

    Still 5-2 Guardians as we go to the bottom of the sixth.

  • Trey Sweeney walks

    And the bases are loaded for Kerry Carpenter.

  • Tigers threatening with two outs

    After two quick outs in the bottom of the sixth, the Tigers went Torkelson double, Meadows walk, Rogers single to make it 5-2

  • GRAND SLAM!!

    Skubal had just given up his first run of the postseason. Lane Thomas added four more with a big swing on the first pitch he saw.

    5-1 Guardians after five.

  • A hit by pitch ties the game!

    Skubal hits Ramirez on the arm with a 100 mph sinker, and that ties the game.

  • Guardians threatening in the 5th

    A David Fry infield single has the bases loaded for Jose Ramirez.

  • Steven Kwan cannot be stopped

    Steven Kwan has his second hit of the game and has reached base in all three of his at-bats.

    The Guardians have two on and one out against Skubal in the bottom of the fifth.

  • Carpenter singles, Sweeney scores

    Kerry Carpenter delivered an RBI single in the top of the fifth. Trey Sweeney scampered around from first to score the first run of the game. 1-0 Tigers.

    Carpenter can't run, but he sure can hit.

  • Kerry Carpenter in the game

    After a Trey Sweeney walk to begin the top of the fifth, Kerry Carpenter enters as a pinch-hitter for Detroit. He appeared to injure his hamstring in Game 4, but it's not stopping him in Game 5.

  • Skubal still rolling

    The Guardians go 1-2-3 in the bottom of the fourth, and it's still 0-0 heading to the fifth.

  • Erik Sabrowski gets out of it

    After Parker Meadows draws a walk, Sabrowski gets Jake Rogers to ground out, ending the threat. The Tigers' hitless streak with RISP continues.

  • Loud double from Torkelson

    After two quick strikeouts in the top of the fourth, Spencer Torkelson works a nine-pitch at-bat and bangs a double off the outfield wall.

    That will do it for Cade Smith after 1 2/3 innings.

  • Skubal pitches out of the jam

    Two outs around an intentional walk got the Tigers through the third unscathed. 0-0 as we go to the fourth.

  • Steven Kwan double bounces off Greene's glove

    After a strikeout and a single to begin the bottom of the third, Steven Kwan hit a line-drive double that bounced off of Riley Greene's glove, giving the Guardians second and third with one out.

  • Sean Leahy

    Caden Smith relieves Matthew Boyd

    Boyd allowed one hit over two innings with five strike outs. This is Smith's fifth appearance this postseason. He's pitched 4 2/3 innings with one run and one hit allowed with nine strikeouts.

  • Sean Leahy

    Skubal cruising

    Through two innings, Skubal has allowed one hit and struck out two. He has yet to allow a run over 15 innings this postseason.

  • Sean Leahy
  • Sean Leahy

    Tigers can't get runners home

    After Parker Meadows doubled to left field and stole third base, he remained there for the inning. Boyd got Jake Rogers to fly out and struck out Trey Sweeney, and the Tigers have stranded three runners already — two in scoring position.

  • Sean Leahy

    Skubal gets through one

    After Steven Kwan reached first base on an error, Tarik Skubal got the next three Guardians out to end their hopes of taking an early lead.

  • Sean Leahy

    Boyd settles in

    Matthew Boyd's first pitch of the game ended up hitting Tigers' leadoff man Justyn-Henry Malloy. The Guardians starter then settled in and struck out three to keep Detroit off the scoreboard in the top of the first inning.

  • Sean Leahy

    Game 5 starting lineups