Carpenter's home run in the 9th lifts Tigers to 3-0 win over Guardians in ALDS Game 2
CLEVELAND, OHIO - OCTOBER 07: Kerry Carpenter #30 of the Detroit Tigers hits a home run in the ninth inning against the Cleveland Guardians during Game Two of the Division Series at Progressive Field on October 07, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by
FOX 2 - CLEVELAND (AP) — Kerry Carpenter hit a three-run homer off Cleveland’s All-Star closer Emmanuel Clase in the ninth inning, and the Detroit Tigers stunned the Guardians 3-0 in Game 2 on Monday to even their AL Division Series at one game apiece.
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.
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 singled 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.
CLEVELAND, OH - OCTOBER 07: Kerry Carpenter #30 of the Detroit Tigers celebrates as he rounds the bases after hitting a three-run home run in the ninth inning during Game 2 of the Division Series presented by Booking.com between the Detroit Tigers an
"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.
After Skubal pitched seven innings and winner Will Vest got through the eighth, Beau Brieske pitched a perfect ninth for the save.
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.
CLEVELAND, OH - OCTOBER 07: Tarik Skubal #29 of the Detroit Tigers pitches in the first inning during Game 2 of the Division Series presented by Booking.com between the Detroit Tigers and the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on Monday, Octobe