Tigers vs. Guardians score: Tarik Skubal dominates to even ALDS as Emmanuel Clase blows game on rare homer

Kerry Carpenter provided the late-inning heroics with a three-run home run for the Tigers

By Matt Snyder

Oct 8, 2024 • 1 min read

While there's been chirping from the Cleveland area about their excellent closer Emmanuel Clase, the presumptive American League Cy Young winner for the 2024 season is Tigers southpaw Tarik Skubal. He gave Guardians fans a front row seat to witness his dominance first-hand in Game 2 of the ALDS, which finished as a hotly contested 3-0 Tigers victory.

That said, Skubal ended up not even being the biggest story of the day Monday. The honor there belonged to Kerry Carpenter, who clubbed a three-run home run off -- coincidentally -- Clase.

Carpenter didn't start the game. He pinch hit in the eighth inning when the Tigers were finally facing a right-hander in a spot where they were OK with replacing a starter. You see, he is one of the most extreme split guys in baseball. Take a look:

Carpenter vs. LHP: .107/.194/.214
Carpenter vs. RHP: .305/.363/.631

Yikes. He's a crusher of worlds against righties and he certainly put a damper on the Cleveland-area sports fandom world Monday.

Clase had only allowed two home runs in 74 1/3 innings during the regular season, by the way.

Still, there's no reason to beat around the bush here: While Carpenter is billed the hero and rightfully so, Skubal was the main reason the Tigers won this game. He took a perfect game into the fifth inning, absolutely carving the Guardians up early. He struck out seven through four innings and painted both the outside corner and the bottom on the zone with relative ease. He has another gear to him in big spots and displayed it several times, making otherwise difficult-to-K hitters like Steven Kwan and José Ramírez look silly.

The final line: 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 8 K.

Skubal did run into trouble in the fifth and sixth innings, but was able to induce double plays in order to work his way out of it.

He just needed a little help from his friends on offense in this one. He put them on his back while he was on the mound. Couldn't they muster just one run of support?

Through 8 2/3 innings, the answer was no. But then Jake Rogers singled through the right side with authority against Clase. Trey Sweeney singled into the right-center gap, enough that Rogers -- the catcher -- was able to get to third base and make the threat feel just that much more real. And then Carpenter brought the thunder.

The Tigers have felt impossible to kill down the stretch. They were 33-16 after Aug. 4 with so many comebacks. The Astros hadn't lost in the playoffs before the ALCS in nearly a decade before the Tigers took them out in two games -- including an eighth-inning comeback in Game 2 to ice the series.

Even a play late in this one that didn't go their way didn't hold them back. Wencell Pérez hit what looked like a go-ahead single, only to be corralled by Guardians left fielder Steven Kwan. The slow-motion replays weren't overly helpful. It certainly looked like the ball hopped a little and many would say it bounced off the ground, but there was just no camera angle that could show us definitively that the ball hit the ground. It seems like it surely did, but you never actually see it happening.

No matter. Winners make their own breaks and the Tigers prevailed even after this play. They've been winners for two months. Chalk up another one, this one mostly thanks to Skubal with Carpenter playing late-game hero.

And now, after another win that felt improbable, they head to Detroit with the ALDS tied, one game apiece.

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Tigers stun Guardians with 9th-inning rally off Clase, win 3-0

The Detroit Tigers eked out a 3-0 win over the Cleveland Guardians in Game 2 of the American League Division Series on Monday. The Tigers' win evens the best-of-five series at 1-1.

Tigers ace Tarik Subal spun seven dominant shutout innings, but the Tigers were unable to push a run across for the first eight frames thanks to a strong start by Matthew Boyd and similarly strong work from the Cleveland bullpen. With two outs in the top of the ninth, though, the Tigers got back-to-back singles off lockdown closer Emmanuel Clase. Then Kerry Carpenter stepped in. Clase started him off with three straight cutters. Then it was three straight sliders. On that third slider, Carpenter did this:

That's a 423-foot no-doubter, and that's a scoreless tie turned into a 3-0 Detroit lead with one swing. There's also this:

In the bottom of the ninth, Tigers reliever Beau Briske retired the side in order for the save.

Game 3 is scheduled for Wednesday at Detroit's Comerica Park.

Kerry Carpenter homers off Emmanuel Clase for 3-0 lead

The Tigers finally broke through and snapped the scoreless tie with this Kerry Carpenter blast off Cleveland closer Emmanuel Clase in the top of the ninth:

That flipped a scoreless tie into a 3-0 lead for the Tigers late in Game 2. A Tigers win, which is now quite likely, will even the series at 1-1.

Steven Kwan's catch keeps Game 2 scoreless

With runners on first and second and two outs in the eighth, Detroit's Wenceel Pérez hit a humpback liner into left off Emmanuel Clase. Luckily for the Guardians, Gold Glove outfielder Steven Kwan was on the case:

That's an inning-ending snare by Kwan that may have saved the game for the Guards. Tigers manager A.J. Hinch quickly challenged the out ruling, suspecting that Kwan had trapped the ball instead of making a clean catch. After a few moments, though, the call was ruled to stand. That's a key distinction. If the review booth had judged "call confirmed," then it would've meant that the out call was correct. Instead, "call stands" means there's not sufficient evidence to overturn. Look closely enough, and you'll see the ball appears to redirect slightly before Kwan secures. However, it's impossible tell whether it's bouncing off grass or glove leather. The call probably would've stood regardless of whether the on-field ruling was out or RBI single on a trap. Things as they are, Game 2 remains scoreless.

I don't love pulling Skubal at 92 pitches. If he's only got another 5-10 pitches or whatever it is, I would have taken them.

This is one of those situations that is simply a blind spot. It doesn't seem possible that the ball never hit the ground between when it initially hit Kwan's thumb and then his glove rolled over to hold the ball ... but there's just no view at all where you can definitively see the ball touching the ground.

Umps say it was a catch.

Yeah I can't tell.

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That might be one of those "not enough evidence to overturn" plays.

That's a trap.

I don't think that's a catch.

With two outs in the eighth and the score still 0-0, it's Emmanuel Clase time in Cleveland. Tigers have runners on first and second.

We've seen some absolutely wild offensive games so far this postseason. This Tigers-Guardians matchup is a refreshing reminder that pitching wins rings.

Parker Meadows just misses a home run. Instead, it's a deep fly-out to right, and we remain scoreless.

Take it from someone who knows

And Brent Rooker knows:

As Stephen Vogt walks to the mound to take out Cade Smith, a moment to acknowledge how good those team bomber jackets are

Skubal escapes with a GIDP

Runners on the corners with one out, and Skubal gets what needs -- a ground ball of the bat of David Fry. Here's a look:

That's an excellent 6-4-3 turned by Trey Sweeney and Colt Keith on what was a bit of a slow grounder. That keeps us scoreless through sixth in Game 2.

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83 pitches for Skubal

Through six. The best bet is he throws the seventh and that's it. If you're handicapping this one, advantage Guardians.

What a great postseason. Every game except the first game of this series has been close into the late innings.

Kwan's a tough out, to say the least.

RISP for Cleveland with one out in the sixth.

Skubal gets out of jam

He'd been perfect until the fifth, but an inning-ending double play keeps the game scoreless.

Josh Naylor doubles, Skubal escapes

And Tarik Skubal has allowed a hit. Perfect game and no-hitter over.

It's always good when those aren't cheap. That was hit hard and a legitimate hit.

The perfect game lasted 4 1/3 innings, which isn't overly serious. We were really only talking about it because 1) it was the main story in a playoff game and 2) Skubal was looking that good.

The longest Tigers perfect game bid in the playoffs before was, unsurprisingly, Justin Verlander, who had one through 5 1/3 innings in Game 5 of the ALDS in Oakland in 2013.

In more pressing matters, Skubal hit the next batter and was faced with a tough situation, two runners on and one out. He induced an inning-ending double play.

It is 0-0 through five.

You might be a bit too antsy as a fan if you're loudly booing after a hitter barely moves back on a pitch.

One of the best hitters in baseball chimes in:

Rooker hit 39 homers with a .927 OPS this season. He is 6 for 14 (.429) with two homers against Skubal in his career, so hey, pretty good!

Wow, what a play by Noel

Justyn-Henry Malloy hit what should've been a double to right field, but Jhonkensy Noel made an outstanding play to cut the ball off before it bounced to the wall and then he unfurled a perfect throw to second to nail Malloy.

That makes it two outs in the fifth and the Guardians are going to Cade Smith. They'll likely try to finish this game with just Smith, Tim Herrin, Hunter Gaddis and Emmanuel Clase, the top horses in the amazing stable of relievers.

Tarik Skubal has been untouchable

Going into the fifth inning, the Tigers and Guardians are tied 0-0 in Game 2 of the ALDS. Matthew Boyd has pitched out of trouble on occasion to keep the Tigers on the board. Detroit ace Tarik Skubal, meantime, has been dominant. He's perfect through four with seven strikeouts. Of his 51 pitches, 35 have been for strikes. The presumptive AL Cy Young winner has been in peak form, as the following color-television highlights suggest:

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Skubal still dealing

It's 51 pitches through four perfect innings. Seven strikeouts out of 12 total outs.

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Boyd strikes out two to finish fourth

Matthew Boyd just stepped up in a huge way after allowing a leadoff double. He got a flyout and then two strikeouts to keep it a scoreless tie.

The Guardians will now get a second look through their order at Tarik Skubal.

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