CLEVELAND — The Guardians kicked off their 2024 postseason with a strong performance but faced a setback on Monday evening. After winning Game 1 of the American League Division Series with a five-run first inning, they lost Game 2 to the Tigers, who clinched victory with a three-run homer in the ninth inning off Cleveland’s All-Star closer, Emmanuel Clase. The best-of-five series is now tied at 1-1.
Monday’s matchup featured a tense pitcher’s duel between the Tigers’ Tarik Skubal, a frontrunner for the AL Cy Young award, and Matthew Boyd, a former Tiger. The game remained scoreless until the decisive moment when Kerry Carpenter hit a towering 423-foot three-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning, completely shifting the momentum in favor of Detroit.
This marked the first time Clase had ever allowed a three-run homer in his career, despite having only surrendered five earned runs throughout the entire season. The Tigers rallied in the ninth with single hits from Jake Rogers and Trey Sweeney, setting the stage for Carpenter’s dramatic swing.
The game moved into the eighth inning tied, following impressive pitching performances. Skubal exited after seven innings, having effectively silenced the Guardians’ bats. Hunter Gaddis took the mound for Cleveland, and Tim Herrin maintained a scoreless game in the seventh.
The fifth inning saw significant plays, including Josh Naylor breaking up Skubal’s perfect game with a double after the pitcher had struck out seven Guardians and faced 12 batters without a hit. Despite moments of promise, the Guardians could not capitalize on their chances.
Carpenter’s ninth-inning heroics ultimately decided the game, icing a disappointing evening for the Guardians at Progressive Field. The teams will now look to Game 3 to determine the direction of the series.