The Tigers sent Tarik Skubal to the mound looking to secure their first trip to the ALCS since 2013, while Cleveland looks to complete a 2-1 comeback.
Tigers @ Guardians, 1pm ET. TBS/Max—Series tied 2-2
Starting pitchers: Tarik Skubal (13.0 IP, 0.00 ERA, 14 Ks in 2024 postseason) vs. Matthew Boyd (4.2 IP, 0.00 ERA, 5 Ks)
The last time the Tigers made the ALCS, Tarik Skubal was still in high school at Kingman Academy in Arizona. Now the presumptive AL Cy Young winner gets the chance to put Detroit back into the championship series if he can deliver one more excellent outing against Cleveland.
The Detroit ace was excellent in Game 2, leading Detroit to a win after tossing seven shutout innings with 8 Ks. It wasn’t a surprise that the Guardians failed to put a dent in what will be Detroit’s first Cy Young winner since Max Scherzer in 2013. Skubal allowed only one run in seven innings in his only start vs. Cleveland in the regular season.
The Guardians staved off elimination in Game 4 thanks to the heroics of All-Star David Fry. The powerful utility man came off the bench in the 7th to deliver a two-run homer that put Cleveland on top—then delivered an insurance run on a sac fly in the 9th.
If the Guardians can deliver some more clutch hits this afternoon, they’ll end an ALDS drought that dates back to 2016. Solving Detroit’s pitching staff is no easy task though, as the Tigers have allowed two runs or less in all of their postseason wins this October.