Cleveland Guardians Win A Wild One Against The Detroit Tigers To Force Game 5

The division series round of the 2024 Major League Baseball postseason has been outstanding drama thus far, and the Cleveland Guardians brought some more of it on Thursday night. 

In a back-and-forth battle with the Detroit Tigers, Cleveland did just enough to escape with a 5-4 victory, though that undersells the twists and turns in a wild game four. 

The Guardians jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on a Lane Thomas single, only to see the Tigers tie the game on a Trey Sweeney sacrifice fly in the bottom of the second. Jose Ramirez launched his first home run of the playoffs to retake the lead in the fifth. 

Sure enough though, the Gritty Tigers fought back with a Zach McInstry home run to tie it at two. Wenceel Perez, a true household name, delivered a two-out single in the bottom of the sixth to give Detroit a 3-2 lead. 

But Cleveland countered with another household name, David Fry, who hit a go-ahead, pinch hit, two-run homer to give the Guardians a 4-3 lead. 

DETROIT - David Fry of the Cleveland Guardians hits a two run home run during the seventh inning against the Detroit Tigers during Game Four of the Division Series at Comerica Park on October 10, 2024.  (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Detroit Tigers Pitching Chaos Breaks Down In Game Four Loss To Cleveland

Fry contributed another sacrifice bunt to take the lead to 5-3 in the 9th, with Cleveland bringing in one of baseball's best closers, Emmanuel Clase, to shut the door. But getting those last few outs in postseason baseball is never easy. And it wasn't easy against a team that's built its run on miraculous comebacks.

Justyn-Henry Malloy led off with a double, and was moved to third with one out. Clase though, buckled down and got a ground out and strikeout to give up just one run and close out the 5-4 win. 

The series now moves back to Cleveland for a decisive game five. Seems like the Guardians are the favorites, right? They might be normally, but Detroit can now bring back Tarik Skubal to start. Skubal was virtually unhittable in seven shutout innings in game two. 

The Tigers strategy has been to use Skubal and an assembly line of relievers to get through games. Through game three, it'd worked almost perfectly. But the one downside to bullpen games in October is the repeated exposure to the opposing lineup. If Skubal struggles early, the Guardians will have more chances against relievers they're now very familiar with. Sometimes that's a recipe for disaster. 

But then again, Skubal could easily shut Cleveland down like he did in game two. There's plenty to watch for, and everything at stake. Playoff baseball.