Detroit Tigers Season Comes to an End, Fall to Guardians in Game Five ALDS
The 2024 season has come to an end for the Detroit Tigers.
After an improbable run to the postseason, the Tigers were eliminated by the Cleveland Guardians after falling 7-3 in Game Five of the American League Division Series.
Detroit had the right man for the job to close out the series on Saturday with Tarik Skubal on the mound, but unfortunately couldn’t hold it together.
The Guardians started with Matthew Boyd on the mound for the final game of the series. It was clear that he felt how big the moment was from the start as he hit Tigers Justyn-Henry Malloy on the first pitch he threw on the day.
Boyd only went two innings before Guardians manager Stephen Vogt went to the team’s dynamic bullpen. He left the game after picking up five strikeouts and producing 11 whiffs across that span.
The game was a pitching battle for the first four innings, with only a small number of opportunities for each team that ultimately fell short.
In the bottom of the third inning, what appeared to be a routine fly ball catch by Tigers outfielder was dropped, allowing two Guardians to get into scoring position with only one out in the frame. However, Skubal once again proved why he is the best pitcher in MLB. The AL Triple Crown winner this season threw his next five pitches in the strike zone to end the inning without any damage. This also included the team intentionally walking Guardians superstar Jose Ramirez to load the bases. Skubal ended the inning with a 99.2 mph four-seam fastball that resulted in a weak popup by Cleveland’s Lane Thomas.
After being removed from Game Four on Thursday due to a hamstring injury running the bases, Tigers outfielder Kerry Carpenter continued his hot postseason streak in the top of the fifth inning. Carpenter hit an RBI single that brought Trey Sweeney in from first base after the ball went over the head of Guardians outfielder Jhonkensy Noel to put Detroit on the board for the first run of the game.
The lead would not hold, however.
In the bottom of the fifth, the extensive run of scoreless baseball from the Tigers ace came to an end as Skubal quickly loaded the bases. He then proceeded to hit Jose Ramirez with a pitch to tie the game. Guardians outfielder Lane Thomas then came up to the plate for the second straight time with the bases juiced. He didn’t waste his opportunity this time around. Thomas hit a grand slam off Skubal to take a commanding 5-1 lead.
It was the first grand slam for the Guardians since the 2017 ALDS against the New York Yankees. As for Skubal, it was the first home run he allowed in a month and the first grand slam he allowed in his entire MLB career. A tough time to allow your first blunder with the season on the line.
The two teams each scored a few more runs, bringing the Guardians' lead to 7-3. Cleveland brought in its star closer, Emanuel Clase, to finish off its division rivals with a six-out save.
The Tigers went from being ‘sellers’ at the MLB Trade Deadline and having a 0.2% chance at making the postseason to being one game away from fighting for the American League Pennant. Overall, a very impressive season for a young roster that has a lot to look forward to.
As the Tigers will shift their focus to the offseason, the Guardians will head to the Bronx on Monday to take on the New York Yankees in a best-of-seven series to head to the World Series.
