MLB

Detroit Tigers at Cleveland Guardians

· ALDS - Game 2
Detroit Tigers
86-76, 43-38 Away
Final
3 - 0
Cleveland Guardians
92-69, 50-30 Home

Carpenter's 3-run homer off Clase sends gritty Tigers to 3-0 win over Guardians in Game 2 of ALDS

Carpenter connected for a 423-foot shot with two outs off Clase, who had not given up a run since Aug. 30 and led the American League with 47 saves.

“To do it off him is special,” said Carpenter. “He's one of the best.”'

Detroit ace Tarik Skubal pitched seven shutout innings, increasing his postseason total to 13, before the Tigers put together a rare big inning against the almost unhittable Clase.

The intimidating right-hander has dominated hitters all season — he hasn't blown a save since May — and was making just his second multi-inning appearance of 2024.

Jake Rogers and Trey Sweeney hit consecutive two-out singles. Carpenter, who entered an inning earlier as a pinch-hitter, turned on Clase's third straight slider, sending the ball into the right-field seats and shocking Cleveland's rowdy home crowd.

“How about those three two-out hits?” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said.

Guardians manager Stephen Vogt didn't regret using Clase for more than one inning.

“Emmanuel has been locked down all year,” Vogt said. "He’s been nearly perfect. He’s human, too. These things are going to happen, and it’s unfortunate the timing of when it did, but at the same time he’s going to have the ball in the ninth again.

“This is the best closer in the game for a reason, and they just happened to get him tonight.”

The homer drove in the first runs of the series for the Tigers, who have been finding ways to win for months. Detroit went 31-13 after Aug. 11 to qualify for the postseason and then stunned the AL West champion Houston Astros in the Wild Card Series.

They're at it again and head home to Comerica Park for Games 3 and 4 on Wednesday and Thursday with a chance to advance.

“You come to this environment, on the road, and it’s a five-game series,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. "When you get that emotional win and go back home 1-1, you feel like you got one on their home turf.

“We now have two games at our place. We know it’s going to be electric. We know Detroit has waited a really long time for a playoff game. We’re going to have a couple of them and a chance to take control of this series.”

When Carpenter stepped into the box, the Tigers felt something good would happen.

“Kerry coming up there being Kerry Bonds, that's what you want right there,” Rogers said. “He got one low and in the middle of the zone. I had the best view of it and I was screaming from the bottom of my lungs.”

After Skubal pitched seven innings and winner Will Vest got through the eighth, Beau Brieske pitched a perfect ninth for the save.

Skubal was getting a postgame workout when Carpenter homered.

“What a swing,” he said. “I was on the ground, and I think that’s the fastest I’ve ever stood up in my life. What a swing off a really good pitcher, too, the best closer in the game. That was incredible to watch.”

Skubal, who won the AL pitching triple crown by leading the league in wins (18), ERA (2.39) and strikeouts (288), allowed just three hits. The left-hander dominated the Guardians over the first 4 1/3 innings, striking out eight before Josh Naylor doubled with one out in the fifth for Cleveland's first hit. Skubal then hit rookie Jhonkensy Noel on the left hand.

But the 27-year-old Skubal, who has never pitched a complete game, got Andrés Giménez to bounce into an inning-ending double play and celebrated loudly as he left the mound and headed toward Detroit's dugout.

Cleveland also threatened in the sixth.

No. 9 hitter Brayan Rocchio doubled with one out and Kwan singled. Rocchio was held at third, and Skubal again got out of trouble as Detroit's infield turned a nifty 6-4-3 double play, prompting the lefty to raise his hands and ask the crowd for more applause like a conductor pushing his orchestra for volume.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Guardians: Utilityman Tyler Freeman was replaced on the ALDS roster after straining an oblique while taking a swing in a simulated game on Sunday. Freeman, who was replaced by rookie Ángel Martínez, was probably going to be in the lineup for Game 2. He batted .385 against Detroit this season and knows Skubal well after facing him in the minors.

UP NEXT

Guardians RHP Alex Cobb will make his first start since Sept. 1 in Game 3. He's been sidelined with a middle finger blister and only made three starts after coming over in a July trade from San Francisco. He'll be pitching in the postseason for the first time since Game 3 of the ALDS in 2013 for Tampa Bay.

Detroit manager A.J. Hinch had not announced his starter.

How can I watch Detroit Tigers vs. Cleveland Guardians?
  • TV Channel: Tigers at Guardians 2022 MLB Baseball, is broadcasted on TBS.
  • Online streaming: Sign up for Fubo.

Matchup Prediction

Guardians: 49.1%
Tigers: 50.9%
*According to ESPN's Basketball Power Index

Scoring Summary

9th Inning Fry struck out looking.
9th Inning Kwan struck out looking.
9th Inning Rocchio flied out to center.
9th Inning Brieske relieved Vest
9th Inning McKinstry at second base.
9th Inning Keith popped out to second.

Statistics

https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/mlb/500/det.png&h=100&scale=crop&w=100&location=originDET https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/mlb/500/cle.png&h=100&scale=crop&w=100&location=originCLE
1 Games Played 1
1 Team Games Played 1
0 Hit By Pitch 1
5 Ground Balls 10
10 Strikeouts 11
3 Runs Batted In 0
0 Sacrifice Hit 0
9 Hits 3
0 Stolen Bases 0
4 Walks 0
0 Catcher Interference 0
3 Runs 0
0 Ground Into Double Play 2
0 Sacrifice Flies 0
35 At Bats 28
1 Home Runs 0
0 Grand Slam Home Runs 0
15 Runners Left On Base 4
0 Triples 0
1 Game Winning RBIs 0
1 Intentional Walks 0
2 Doubles 2
20 Fly Balls 7
0 Caught Stealing 0
150 Pitches 117
0 Games Started 0
2 Pinch At Bats 2
0 Pinch Hits 0
0.0 Player Rating 0.0
1 Is Qualified 1
0 Is Qualified In Steals 0
14 Total Bases 5
39 Plate Appearances 29
162.0 Projected Home Runs 0.0
3 Extra Base Hits 2
4.9 Runs Created -0.9
.257 Batting Average .107
.000 Pinch Hit Average .000
.400 Slugging Percentage .179
.257 Secondary Average .071
.333 On Base Percentage .138
.733 OBP Pct + SLG Pct .317
0.3 Ground To Fly Ball Ratio 1.4
5.1 Runs Created Per 27 Outs -0.9
28.0 Batter Rating 7.0
35.0 At Bats Per Home Run 0.0
0.00 Stolen Base Percentage 0.00
3.85 Pitches Per Plate Appearance 4.03
.143 Isolated Power .071
0.40 Walk To Strikeout Ratio 0.00
.103 Walks Per Plate Appearance .000
.000 Secondary Average Minus Batting Average -.036
6.0 Runs Produced 0.0
1.0 Runs Ratio 0.0
0.5 Patience Ratio 0.2
0.3 Balls In Play Average 0.2
80.0 MLB Rating 58.3
0.0 Offensive Wins Above Replacement 0.0
0.0 Wins Above Replacement 0.0

Game Information

Progressive Field

Location: Cleveland, Ohio
Attendance: 33,650 | Capacity:

2024 American League Central Standings

TEAM W L PCT GB STRK
Cleveland 92 69 .571 - L2
Kansas City 86 76 .531 6.5 W1
Detroit 86 76 .531 6.5 L2
Minnesota 82 80 .506 10.5 L4
Chicago 41 121 .253 51.5 W2
Full Standings