The Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Guardians face off Saturday in a decisive Game 5 for the chance to advance to face the New York Yankees, who punched their ticket to the American League Championship Series with a 3-1 series win over the Kansas City Royals.
Saturday’s game was moved from the evening to the afternoon because of impending weather in Cleveland. In Thursday’s Game 4, the Tigers had a chance to close things out, but the Guardians refused to fold, with pinch-hitter David Fry hitting a go-ahead home run in the seventh inning.
The Tigers haven’t been to the ALCS since 2013, when they lost to the eventual champion Red Sox. Meanwhile, the Guardians beat the Blue Jays in the 2016 ALCS before their crushing World Series defeat at the hands of the Cubs.
Tarik Skubal takes the mound for the Tigers on Saturday looking to build on his brilliant season, including his two prior postseason starts; the Cy Young favorite has yet to allow a run in 13 innings pitched so far in October. For the Guardians, it’ll be Matthew Boyd, who pitched 4 2/3 scoreless innings in Cleveland’s Game 2 loss to Detroit. Boyd made just eight starts late this season after returning from Tommy John surgery.
Game 1 of the ALCS is Monday in New York.
How to watch Tigers vs. Guardians in ALDS Game 5
Date: Saturday, Oct. 12
Time: 1:08 p.m. ET
Location: Progressive Field | Cleveland
Channel: TBS
Live25 updates
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Another hit for Kwan
Steven Kwan leads off the bottom of the seventh with a single.
This is his third straight three-hit game. He has 11 hits in the series.
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Eli Morgan ends the threat
One run is all the Tigers will get in the seventh.
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Tigers chipping away
A Riley Greene single followed by a Colt Keith double makes it 5-3 in the seventh.
These Tigers aren’t going down without a fight.
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5 pitch inning for Skubal
The Tigers are letting Skubal continue to roll, and he does so with three quick outs in the bottom of the sixth.
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Hunter Gaddis gets it done
Carpenter strikes out swinging on a 96 mph fastball.
Still 5-2 Guardians as we go to the bottom of the sixth.
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Trey Sweeney walks
And the bases are loaded for Kerry Carpenter.
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Tigers threatening with two outs
After two quick outs in the bottom of the sixth, the Tigers went Torkelson double, Meadows walk, Rogers single to make it 5-2
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GRAND 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.
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A hit by pitch ties the game!
Skubal hits Ramirez on the arm with a 100 mph sinker, and that ties the game.
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Guardians threatening in the 5th
A David Fry infield single has the bases loaded for Jose Ramirez.
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Steven Kwan cannot be stopped
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.
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Carpenter singles, Sweeney scores
Kerry Carpenter delivered an RBI single in the top of the fifth. Trey Sweeney scampered around from first to score the first run of the game. 1-0 Tigers.
Carpenter can’t run, but he sure can hit.
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Kerry Carpenter in the game
After a Trey Sweeney walk to begin the top of the fifth, Kerry Carpenter enters as a pinch-hitter for Detroit. He appeared to injure his hamstring in Game 4, but it’s not stopping him in Game 5.
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Skubal still rolling
The Guardians go 1-2-3 in the bottom of the fourth, and it’s still 0-0 heading to the fifth.
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Erik Sabrowski gets out of it
After Parker Meadows draws a walk, Sabrowski gets Jake Rogers to ground out, ending the threat. The Tigers’ hitless streak with RISP continues.
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Loud double from Torkelson
After two quick strikeouts in the top of the fourth, Spencer Torkelson works a nine-pitch at-bat and bangs a double off the outfield wall.
That will do it for Cade Smith after 1 2/3 innings.
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Skubal pitches out of the jam
Two outs around an intentional walk got the Tigers through the third unscathed. 0-0 as we go to the fourth.
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Steven Kwan double bounces off Greene’s glove
After a strikeout and a single to begin the bottom of the third, Steven Kwan hit a line-drive double that bounced off of Riley Greene’s glove, giving the Guardians second and third with one out.
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