The magic is over for the Detroit Tigers.
D Cleveland Guard The Tigers took the decisive Game 5 of the ALDS 7-3 to return to the American League Championship Series for the first time since 2016.
After both teams traded a scoreless four innings, Detroit opened the scoring in the fifth inning with an RBI single by Kerry Carpenter that scored Trey Sweeney first.
In the bottom half of the inning, likely AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal proved he was the man.
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Lane Thomas of the Cleveland Guardians cruises the bases after a grand slam in the fifth inning of Game 5 of the division series against the Detroit Tigers at Progressive Field, Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024, in Cleveland. (Photo by Ben Jackson/MLB via Getty Images)
Loading the bases with one out, Scubal hit Jose Ramirez to bring home the runner. On the next pitch, he hit a grand slam to Lane Thomas to give the Guardians a 5-1 lead. For Skubal, it was the first well-deserved run since September 18.
Detroit, however, did not go quietly. Jake Rogers had an RBI single in the sixth, but the Tigers squandered the opportunity when Carpenter struck out with the bases loaded to end the inning. In the seventh, Colt Keith's RBI double made it 5-3, but sophomore Wenzel Perez and Spencer Torkelson each scored.
With Emmanuel Claes warming up in the bottom of the seventh, Thomas knocked in an RBI single to insure. Steven Kwan scored after recording his third straight three-hit game. He is currently hitting .392 in 12 career postseason games despite going 0-for-9 in the first two. Brian Rocchio, Cleveland's No. 9 hitter, followed with an RBI single of his own in the eighth for an added bonus.
Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal reacts after Guardians Lane Thomas hit a grand slam in the fifth inning of Game 5 of the ALDS, Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024, at Progressive Field in Cleveland. (Junfu Han/USA TODAY SIEĆ)
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The dominant class enters the eighth game. After he took a four-point lead in the eighth, it was automatic. Clash easily scored the final six outs. Guardian is 76-2 this year, including the postseason when he led after six innings.
This will be the fourth time the New York Yankees and Cleveland will meet after the 2017 season. The Bronx Bombers won all three of these matchups, and all were divisional or wild-card series. This time it will be a pennant.
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 outfielder Lane Thomas (right) celebrates with outfielder Steven Kwan and third baseman Jose Ramirez in the fifth inning against the Detroit Tigers during Game 5 of the ALDS during the 2024 MLB playoffs at Progressive Field. (Photo: Ken Blaze/Imagon)
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Cleveland won its last trip to the ALCS eight years ago, but lost to the Chicago Cubs in this year's World Series.
The first game of the ALCS will be played on Monday night in the Bronx at 7:37 p.m. ET
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