In a thrilling game that took place during the Division Series, the Detroit Tigers and the Cleveland Guardians were locked in a fierce battle, culminating in a decisive moment in the ninth inning. Kerry Carpenter hit a three-run homer that propelled the Tigers to a 3-0 victory, evening the series at one win apiece.
Before the dramatic ninth, the game was characterized by an intense pitchers’ duel. Tigers’ ace Tarik Skubal delivered an impressive performance, throwing seven scoreless innings while allowing only three hits and striking out eight. For the Guardians, Matthew Boyd also shone on the mound, pitching 4.2 innings without allowing a run, tallying five strikeouts before the bullpen took over with their renowned relievers.
Cade Smith and Tim Herrin came in strong, maintaining their grip on the game. However, it was Hunter Gaddis who faced a critical moment in the eighth inning. With two outs and runners on first and second, Gaddis encountered trouble when Wenceel Pérez hit a line drive to left field. Guardians’ left fielder Steven Kwan made a spectacular catch, which the Tigers challenged, questioning whether the ball had touched the ground before the glove. The original call stood, allowing the Guardians to escape that threat unscathed.
The turning point came in the ninth inning when, despite two outs, Jake Rogers and Trey Sweeney managed to get on base. Facing Carpenter with a 2-2 count, Guardians’ closer Emmanuel Clase delivered a nearly 94 mph slider that landed in Carpenter’s sights. The result was a towering three-run homer that sealed the game for the Tigers.
Before this game, Clase had allowed only 13 home runs throughout his Major League career, with the majority occurring with no runners on base. This marked the first time he had surrendered a three-run homer, happening in the high-stakes environment of the playoffs.
