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CLEVELAND — This is foreign territory for the Guardians.
This team has gotten so used to hearing the Emmanuel Clase drumroll over the PA system at Progressive Field and knowing that every batter that’s about to step into the box will quickly be sent right back to the dugout. This is a reliever who converted 47 saves and was only responsible for two losses during the regular season. His work was masterful, so much so that he earned his way into the AL Cy Young conversation.
But on Monday, it was Tarik Skubal, the Cy Young favorite, and his Tigers who got the last word.
There were two outs in the top of the ninth with runners on the corners for Tigers DH Kerry Carpenter. Clase, the only man the Guardians would want on the rubber, had the ball. There was no consideration of walking Carpenter. Cleveland wanted its best reliever to attack every hitter he’d face. But instead, Carpenter launched a monster, three-run blast that was the difference in Cleveland’s 3-0 loss to Detroit.
The ALDS is now tied 1-1. When a Division Series under the current 2-2-1 format has been tied after two games, the team heading home for Games 3-4 has gone on to win the series 29 of 44 times (66 percent).
“Emmanuel has been locked down all year. He’s been nearly perfect,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. “He’s human, too. These things are going to happen, and it’s unfortunate the timing of when it did, but at the same time he’s going to have the ball in the ninth again. This is the best closer in the game for a reason, and they just happened to get him tonight.”
This was the first time Clase had given up a run since Aug. 30. It was just his third homer given up in 2024, and it was the only three-run homer he’s given up in his career. It just happened to come at the worst possible time for the Guardians.
Even though the Guardians had the momentum after a Game 1 win, the odds were stacked against them with Skubal slated to toe the rubber. If Cleveland’s lineup couldn’t get to Skubal, this was the next-best-case scenario.
The powerhouse lefty had finally departed the game after seven sparkling frames with the score still tied at zero. Matthew Boyd, who turned in 4 2/3 scoreless innings, gave his team the best start he could have against his former club. Cade Smith continued his sheer dominance with another 1 2/3 hitless innings. Tim Herrin and Hunter Gaddis combined for 1 1/3 scoreless.
It was all going to plan.
This was the blueprint that worked on Saturday in Game 1: Get enough out of the starter and let the Big Four do their thing until the offense can get to the opposing bullpen. There were only two differences this time, though. One, Clase was called on in the eighth. Two, he didn’t have his usual command.
“I missed executing some pitches, and I feel that’s the result in the game,” Clase said through team interpreter Agustin Rivero.
Clase got out of the eighth thanks to a highlight-reel catch by Steven Kwan in left field. He recorded two outs to start the ninth. But back-to-back singles by Jake Rogers and Trey Sweeney set Carpenter up for the big blast.
“It’s 100 with cut,” Rogers said. “The first pitch started a ball in and it came [over the plate], and I think I even said that was nasty. He’s a great pitcher.”
There are a lot of factors that make this loss hard for the Guardians to swallow. It’s rare to see Clase be on the wrong end of a ninth inning. A team with a 2-0 lead in a five-game series has advanced 80 of 90 times in postseason history (try not to think about 2017, Cleveland fans). On top of all of that, the Guardians were this close to stealing a victory against Skubal.
Now, this series will go at least four games. If it reaches a fifth, that means Skubal will be back on the rubber once again in an elimination game in Cleveland on Saturday. The only way to advance to the ALCS without seeing Skubal again would be to win both of the next two games in Detroit’s territory.
It’s a daunting task, but not an impossible one. And the Guardians are maintaining their day-to-day mentality to bounce back on Wednesday.
“Everything went right until Carpenter squared up that slider,” Vogt said. “So it is what it is. … We have an opportunity to go to Detroit and take Game 3. That’s all we can really ask for.”