Detroit Tigers Drop Game 4, Set Up Winner-Take-All Finale in ALDS
The Detroit Tigers had an opportunity to close out the Cleveland Guardians in front of their home fans in Game 4 to advance to the American League Championship Series.
Unfortunately, they weren't able to shut the door as they lost 5-4.
Without Tarik Skubal available to pitch, manager A.J. Hinch handed the ball to Reese Olson.
In the opening contest of this series, he could have been the starter to kick things off, but the skipper opted to go with another bullpen game which backfired.
Olson pitched well when he came in during the second inning of Game 1, giving Hinch some confidence he could rely on the young starting pitcher in this scenario, and despite giving up a run in the first frame, he did his job by getting through four innings where he gave up just that solo run.
The Tigers evened things up in the second inning when Trey Sweeney hit a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded, but with runners on first and second and just one out, they couldn't capitalize after Jake Rogers lined out which resulted in Spencer Torkelson getting doubled up at second base.
In the fifth inning, after Tyler Holton came on to replace Olson, the Guardians took a 2-1 lead when Jose Ramirez hit a solo homer 418 feet to left field.
Detroit was able to immediately answer back in their half of the frame when Zach McKinstry hit a leadoff solo shot to knot things up at two and swing the momentum back in their favor.
That continued when the Tigers took their first lead of the game in the sixth inning when Wenceel Perez had a pinch-hit RBI single that scored Kerry Carpenter from second base.
But, that was the last time Detroit would lead in the ballgame.
The seesaw continued in the top of the seventh when, with two outs in the inning, David Fry hit a two-run homer to left center field off Beau Brieske who has been phenomenal during the playoffs that put Cleveland on top 4-3.
The Tigers had a chance to put together another patented comeback in the bottom of the eight when Riley Greene and Perez both singled to have runners on first and second with just one out, but the Guardians were taking no chances and called upon their superstar closer Emmanuel Clase.
Unlike in Game 2 when Carpenter blasted a go-ahead shot off of him, Detroit wasn't able to find some magic when McKinstry grounded out to second base and Sweeney struck out.
Cleveland added to their total in the top of the ninth to make things 5-3 when Fry hit a sacrifice bunt that was able to score the speedy Brayan Rocchio from third base following his single to center and move to third on a Stephen Kwan single one batter later.
Will Vest limited the damage by striking out Ramirez and getting Josh Naylor to fly out, but the damage had already been done.
The Tigers scratched across a run in the bottom of the ninth inning after Justyn-Henry Malloy doubled to open the frame and scored when Jace Jung grounded out to second, but Clase proved why he is the best reliever in the American League by striking out Matt Vierling to end things and force a decisive Game 5 on Saturday.
The good news is Skubal will be pitching for Detroit as they look to punch their ticket to the ALCS.
