Guardians 7-0 Tigers (Oct 5, 2024) Game Recap

CLEVELAND – Lane Thomas hit a three-run home run in a five-run outburst before Detroit got an out and the Cleveland Guardians unleashed their lights-out bullpen to complete a four-hitter in a 7-0 victory over the Tigers to score an AL Division Series opener on Saturday.

Thomas' shot – in his first career postseason move – helped the Guardians hold off the Tigers, who stormed into the playoffs with a strong second-half lead before defeating AL West champion Houston in the wild-card round .

“It was electric,” said Thomas, acquired from Washington at the trade deadline. “It was everything I thought it would be and more.”

Tanner Bibee pitched 4 2/3 innings before Guardians manager Stephen Vogt opened the door to baseball's best bullpen to finish off the Tigers.

Cleveland's relievers combined to pitch 4 1/3 hitless innings, creating the largest shutout margin of victory in the club's postseason history. Detroit struck out 13 times and didn't get a runner past first in the final four innings.

The shutout was the worst in Detroit's playoff history since Game 1 of the 1945 World Series.

“We’re going to see a lot from this bullpen,” Tigers manager AJ Hinch said. “Hopefully the longer you look at them, the more comfortable you feel.”

Cleveland's bullpen was as advertised. Rookie Cade Smith (1-0) replaced Bibee and struck out all four batters. Tim Herrin took care of the seventh, Hunter Gaddis took care of the eighth and Emmanuel Clase, who led the AL with 47 saves, took care of the ninth.

David Fry hit a two-run double for the AL Central champion Guardians, who were unaffected by not playing for nearly a week with a first-round bye.

“We were ready to swing the bat and it looked like we didn’t take five days off,” Vogt said.

Game 2 is Monday when the Tigers turn to Tarik Skubal, the favorite to win the AL Cy Young Award, to try to even win the best-of-five series.

The 2,327th Meeting between Detroit and Cleveland was the first between the franchises and Central Division rivals in the postseason.

After one inning it was almost over.

Hinch has made the right decisions for months as his young club climbed to postseason eligibility with a record of 33-13 since Aug. 11 at the trade deadline.

Hinch used his bullpen from the start in Game 1 and it backfired.

The Guardians sent nine batters to the plate in the first, with Thomas' moon shot into the left-field stands opening a 5-0 lead. Cleveland became the first team in AL postseason history to score five runs before recording an out.

Steven Kwan got it rolling with a leadoff double against Tigers starter Tyler Holton (0-1) and Fry walked. José Ramírez followed with a hard jump to third that Zach McKinstry misplayed on a mistake, allowing Kwan to score.

“I tried to make a play but I couldn’t. We ended up losing the game because of that,” said McKinstry, who placed some of the blame on the grounds staff. “They watered the field before the game, but they didn’t water it for the game, and it took a weird jump.”

Josh Naylor's RBI single made it 2-0 and Hinch pulled Holton after just four batters to bring in Reese Olson.

Thomas, who batted just .143 with 33 strikeouts in 77 at-bats after being traded from the Nationals, made his first postseason at-bat with the Guardians memorable.

He turned Olson's first pitch – a slider down the middle of the plate – and hurled it over the wall, sending the majority of the 33,548 fans at Progressive Field into a frenzy.

Bibee admitted to being nervous before the opening game, and he showed it in the first game when he threw 27 pitches.

But taking the mound in the second with a five-run lead helped Bibee settle in. The right-hander gave up four hits and struck out six before handing the ball to Vogt and a bullpen with no apparent flaws.

“I completely understand,” Bibee said. “Considering how good our pen was, I get it. It makes sense. Of course I want to stay out there as long as possible, but I understand.”

TRAINING ROOM

Guardians: RHP Alex Cobb, a candidate to start Game 3, was added to the ALDS roster after finishing the regular season on the injured list with a blister on his middle finger. He made just three starts after being acquired from San Francisco in July.

NEXT

Skubal led the AL in wins (18), ERA (2.39) and strikeouts (228). The left-hander is expected to face Guardians RHP Matthew Boyd, who spent eight seasons with the Tigers and remains close friends with Skubal.

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