The Detroit Tigers' magic is over.
The Cleveland Guardians returned to the American League Championship Series for the first time since 2016, winning the decisive Game 5 of the ALDS against the Tigers, 7-3.
After both teams traded zero runs until the fourth inning, Detroit took the lead in the fifth inning with an RBI hit by pinch hitter Kelly Carpenter, scoring Trey Sweeney from first base.
In the second half of the inning, Tariq Skubal, arguably the AL's Cy Young Award winner, proved he was human.
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Lane Thomas of the Cleveland Guardians hits a home run with the bases loaded in the fifth inning of Game 5 of the Division Series against the Detroit Tigers on Saturday, October 12, 2024 at Progressive Field in Cleveland. (Ben Jackson/MLB Photo via Getty Images)
With one out and the bases loaded, Skubal hit Jose Ramirez and brought the runner home. On the very next pitch, he hit Lane Thomas with a grand slam to give the Guardians a 5-1 lead. This was the first unearned run Skubal has allowed since September 18th.
But Detroit didn't go quietly. In the sixth inning, Jake Rogers had an RBI single, but the Tigers wasted the chance to end the inning when the bases were loaded and Carpenter struck out. In the seventh inning, Colt Keith's RBI double made it 5-3, but Wensel Perez and Spencer Torkelson at second base struck out.
While Emmanuel Clase was warming up in the bottom of the seventh inning, Thomas hit an RBI single as insurance. Steven Kwan recorded three hits and scored in three consecutive games. Despite going 0-for-9 in his first two games, he has a .392 batting average in 12 career postseason games. Cleveland's No. 9 batter, Breian Rocchio, added an RBI single of his own in the eighth inning.
Tigers pitcher Tariq Skubal reacts after the Guardians' Lane Thomas hit a grand slam in the fifth inning during Game 5 of the ALDS on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024, at Progressive Field in Cleveland. (Junfu Han/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
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The dominant Clase entered the game in the eighth inning. After taking a 4-run lead in the 8th inning, the decision was almost automatic. Crace easily took the final six outs. The Guardians are 76-2 this year, including the postseason, and lead after six innings.
This will be the fourth time since 2017 that the New York Yankees and Cleveland will meet in the postseason. The Bronx Bombers won all three of these games, all of which were in either the Division Series or the Wild Card Series. This time it will be the pennant edition.
The Yankees are 4-2 in six postseason series dating back to 1997. The Yankees won the 1998 ALCS in six games en route to a historic World Series season.
Cleveland Guardians outfielders celebrate with outfielder Steven Kwan and third baseman Jose Ramirez in the bottom of the fifth inning during Game 5 of the 2024 MLB Playoffs against the Detroit Tigers at Progressive Field. Lane Thomas (right). (Ken Blaze/Imagine Images)
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Cleveland won its last trip to the ALCS eight years ago, but lost to the Chicago Cubs in that year's World Series.
Game 1 of the ALCS will be played Monday night at 7:37pm ET in the Bronx.
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