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

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

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’s 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 to build on his stellar season. He pitched a total of 17 scoreless innings this postseason and seemed virtually unhittable along the way before the Guardians scored five runs in the fifth inning of Game 5.

Singles by Andres Gimenez, Steven Kwan and David Fry preceded a hit by pitch by Jose Ramirez, which scored Cleveland’s first run. Thomas followed with his game-changing explosion. Skubal ended the sixth inning, having allowed five runs on six hits and six strikeouts, but the damage had already been done.

The Tigers continued to battle and got as close as 5-3 before the Guardians scored two insurance runs in the late innings. Steven Kwan recorded his third three-hit game of the series, and Thomas scored a total of five points in the clincher.

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

Game 1 of the ALCS is Monday in New York.

Live34 updates

  • Tigers win ALDS Game 5 against Guardians

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

  • Two way…

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

  • One way…

    Clase ensures that Vierling goes looking. One out.

  • Last licks for the Tigers

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

  • AJ Hinch makes a pitching change

    Tyler Holton leaves after 1 1/3 innings. Beau Brieske will now pitch for the Tigers.

  • Guardians increase their lead

    Bryan Rocchio gets one in the middle and scores Andrés Giménez. Cleveland now leads 7-3 in the bottom of the eighth inning.

  • Clase takes care of it

    Clase ends the eighth with three consecutive outs, including an eight-pitch strikeout of Kerry Carpenter that ended with a cutter swing at 100 miles per hour.

  • Clase comes in for the 8th

    Parker Meadows walks to start the inning, and Stephen Vogt turns to world closer Emmanuel Clase looking for the final six outs.

  • Guardians tackle insurance

    The score is 6-3 in the seventh after singles by Kwan, Ramirez and Thomas.

  • Another goal for Kwan

    Steven Kwan opens the bottom of the seventh with a single.

    This is his third consecutive 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 cutting away

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

    These Tigers are not going down without a fight.

  • 5-pitch inning for Skubal

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

  • Hunter Gaddis gets it done

    Timmerman strikes out while swinging a 90 mph fastball.

    Still 5-2 Guardians as we head into the bottom of the 6th.

  • Trey Sweeney runs

    And the bases are loaded for Kerry Carpenter.

  • Tigers threaten with two outs

    After two quick outs in the bottom of the sixth, the Tigers Torkelson doubled, Meadows walked and Rogers singled to make it 5-2

  • BIG 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 from the throw determines the match!

    Skubal hits Ramirez in the arm with a 100 mph sinker, and that’s the match.

  • Guards threaten in the 5th

    An infield single by David Fry loads the bases for Jose Ramirez.

  • Steven Kwan is unstoppable

    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.