CLEVELAND — Guardians center fielder Lane Thomas recognized that opportunities like the one he faced in Game 5 of the AL Division Series are rare, especially against a top-tier pitcher like Tarik Skubal of the Tigers.
Skubal had been electric throughout the game, keeping the Cleveland hitters off balance until he encountered difficulty in the fifth inning. After hitting Jose Ramirez with a pitch that tied the game, Thomas stood at the plate with the bases loaded, ready to face the likely AL Cy Young Award winner.
The atmosphere at Progressive Field shifted as the home team sought answers after a lackluster offensive start. And in one pivotal moment, everything changed.
“You dream of at-bats like that as a little kid, and to do it on this stage, in this game, and to come through for the guys in the clubhouse, it feels awesome,” Thomas remarked after smashing a 97 mph fastball from Skubal 396 feet into left field for a grand slam. “About the third inning I was talking with some guys, and I’m like, ‘Whatever we’re doing doesn’t seem to be working. We have to put the ball in play.’”
Thomas’ grand slam gave the Guardians a 5-1 lead, helping them to a 7-3 victory. He became only the fourth player in MLB postseason history to hit a go-ahead grand slam in a winner-take-all game, as noted by ESPN Research.
With Cleveland advancing to the AL Championship Series against the New York Yankees, Thomas received accolades from his teammates during a jubilant celebration in their clubhouse.
“He’s a great ballplayer,” said Josh Naylor of Thomas, acquired from the Nationals in July. “I knew that before we picked him up.”
Ramirez added, “When I got hit, I just knew he would come through. I knew he would.”
Thomas’ home run was even more significant as it traveled 2 feet farther than his first-inning homer in Game 1, where the Guardians won 7-0, solidifying his status as the series hero. His performance is remarkable considering he had struggled initially, hitting just .111 with a .197 on-base percentage in his first 20 games with Cleveland.
“We paid a steep price [three prospects] to get him but hopefully it was to lead to moments like this,” Guardians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti said as he celebrated. “He’s a complete baseball player.”
According to Cleveland hitting coach Chris Valaika, Thomas just needed some time to acclimate. “We went through a little evolution with him. Once he became one of the guys here, he was fine,” Valaika said.
Facing Skubal was a significant challenge; before hitting Ramirez with a pitch, the 27-year-old left-hander had thrown 17 scoreless innings in the postseason, including seven innings against Cleveland in Game 2. Valaika had advised the hitters to be ready for Skubal’s first fastball, and Thomas delivered, completely changing the dynamic of the game. His homer simplified the decisions for manager Stephen Vogt regarding his bullpen after removing starter Matthew Boyd after just two innings.
“There were a couple times that we had to kind of go off the script, but at the same time, it was watch the game, see what the game is telling us to do,” Vogt explained.
Thomas made history as the fourth player to hit a go-ahead grand slam in a winner-take-all postseason game and the first to do so at home.
In the closing stages, closer Emmanuel Clase was called upon for a potential six-out save after being shaky earlier in the series. Clase redeemed himself by striking out Carpenter in a tense eighth-inning at-bat, throwing seven pitches clocked at or above 100 mph.
“It went from 100 to 150,” Clase said, expressing his competitive spirit. “That’s the real Emmanuel Clase. … Even when he was on deck, I kept staring at him because that was my moment. This made it even for us.”
Clase successfully closed out the ninth inning, wrapping up a thrilling five-game series.
“This was an incredible series,” said Tigers manager AJ Hinch. “It’s great for baseball. It’s great for the AL Central.”
For Thomas, the experience was transformative as he overcame early struggles to emerge as a hero for Cleveland, now just four wins away from the World Series.
“Definitely had some struggles those first two weeks, or maybe even the month,” Thomas admitted. “But I’m just thankful they kind of hung with me and let me get my feet under me and kept giving me at-bats. You just have to be thankful for that.”