This Duo Will Be Key To A Guardians ALDS Victory Over Tigers

The Cleveland Guardians will heavily rely on Lane Thomas and David Fry against the Detroit Tigers' left-handed pitching.

Sep 7, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Cleveland Guardians shortstop Daniel Schneemann (10), left, congratulates right fielder Lane Thomas (8) after a two-run home run in the second inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Guardians will have plenty of areas of focus as they prepare to take on the Detroit Tigers in the ALDS. Cleveland will need contributions from across the board to advance to the American League Championship Series.

Two players, in particular, will be key for the Guardians as they gameplan their offensive strategy against Tigers pitching. That's the right-hand-hitting duo of David Fry and Lane Thomas.

Detroit has numerous left-handed pitchers on their staff. This includes Tyler Holton, Brant Hurter, and Sean Guenther out of the bullpen, and of course Cy Young front runner Tarik Skubal in the starting rotation.

The Tigers refer to their "pitching chaos," which relies on their entire staff to get the job done. So, the Guardians will likely see each of these pitchers numerous times during the series.

This is where Both Fry and Thomas, who have crushed lefties throughout their careers, will be critical for the Guardians. Fry has a slash line of .287/.430/.566 with an OPS of .996 against southpaws, and Thomas is arguably better hitting .302/.386/.492 with a .878 OPS.

The duo has also combined for 28 home runs and 47 RBI when facing lefties this season. So, they're not just getting hits. They're coming through for their team in the clutch moments when they need their bats.

Sep 2, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Cleveland Guardians center fielder Lane Thomas (8) hits a double during the ninth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images / Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

The point is that the Guardians will see multiple left-handed pitchers over this best-of-five game series, and this pair has the potential to do some real damage to Detroit's pitching staff.

We're still waiting to hear who will be the Tigers' Game 1 starter for Saturday. Skubal could take the mound in the opener, or A.J. Hinch could opt to go with a different arm. But if Detroit has a lefty taking the rubber, you can almost guarantee the Fry-Thomas duo will be in Stephen Vogt's lineup.