Thomas’ grand slam puts Guardians in ALCS

ALDS

Cleveland Guardians players, from rear left, David Fry, Steven Kwan and Jose Ramirez greet teammate Lane Thomas after Thomas hit a grand slam in the fifth inning during Game 5 of baseball’s American League Division Series against the Detroit Tigers, Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024, in Cleveland. Tigers catcher Jake Rogers is at right. (AP Photo/Phil Long)

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By Tom Withers

The Associated Press

CLEVELAND >> Lane Thomas hit a grand slam off Tarik Skubal and Cleveland beat the Detroit Tigers 7-3 on Saturday in Game 5 of their AL Division Series, moving the Guardians into another postseason matchup against the Yankees.

Cleveland will meet New York in the AL Championship Series, setting up another playoff matchup between two teams that have crossed paths six previous times in October. They last met in 2022, with the Yankees taking their ALDS in five games.

Game 1 is Monday in the Bronx.

Thomas had five RBIs for the Guardians, who weren’t expected to contend this season. But they won the tough AL Central under first-year manager Stephen Vogt, and Cleveland is still alive with a chance to end a World Series title drought stretching to 1948.

“We’re a step closer. Any time you’re a step closer, the more you want to win,” All-Star third baseman José Ramírez said in Cleveland’s champagne-soaked clubhouse. “And we want to win it for the city.”

The Guardians had to take down Skubal, the front-runner for the AL Cy Young Award, to keep it going. The left-hander had not given up a run in 24 consecutive innings — 17 in this postseason — before the Guardians tagged him in the fifth for five runs, tying the most he allowed in 2024.

And Cleveland did with its familiar, scrappy style dubbed “Guards Ball,” getting three singles — one an infield roller — to load the bases before Skubal hit Ramírez on the left hand to force in a run.

“That’s who we are,” Vogt said. “That’s who that group has been in that room all year. As soon as we get punched, we answer. That’s been our M.O. all year long — as soon as we give up a run, our guys come right back.”

That brought up Thomas, who hit a three-run homer in Cleveland’s 7-0 win in Game 1.

The center fielder, who struggled in his first month with the Guardians after coming over in a July trade from Washington, connected on Skubal’s first pitch, sending it just over the 19-foot-high wall in left-center field.

When the ball touched down, the Guardians’ dugout emptied and the screaming, red-clad Progressive Field crowd erupted in celebration.

“It was one pitch,” Skubal said. “I would love to have it back. But what a swing.”