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The Detroit Tigers’ magical ride came to an abrupt halt on Saturday.
The Cleveland Guardians roughed up Tigers’ ace Tarik Skubal in the fifth inning en route to a 7-3 winning at Progressive F Field.
With it, the Central Division-champion Guardians claimed the fifth and deciding game in the American League Division Series and now move on to face the New York Yankees in the ALCS.
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“I have a heartbroken team for all the right reasons,” Tigers’ manager A.J. Hinch said in his post-game press conference. “We left everything we could on the field against a really good team and we didn’t want the season to end as abruptly as did.
“So, I thanked them. I thanked them for everything they’re about in that room. There’s only one team that doesn’t have this pit in your stomach at the end of the year and we were the next one to go through it. I know it’s going to sting, but we’re also going to use it as fuel to get to next spring, but season’s end fast when you’re in the middle of this sprint race through the playoffs and come up a little bit short.”
In the playoffs for the first time in a decade and making a bid for a spot in the ALCS for the first time since 2013, the Tigers just couldn’t deliver the big hit when needed in the final two games of the series with the Guardians.
“I have so much respect for A.J. and the Tigers,” Guardians’ manager Stephen Vogt said in his post-game interview. “It was such a fun series.
“Again, it was indicative of our matchups throughout the regular season. It was kind of whoever got the big hit was going to win and fortunately Lane (Thomas) got it and we added on. They didn’t go away. They don’t quit, we don’t quit, it was an unbelievable series. That was a tough series for us, tough series for them, it was two evenly matched teams going at it and a lot of fun.”
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Skubal, who is expected the win the American League Cy Young Award, brought a stretch of 24 scoreless innings to the mound on Saturday.
He stretched that mark to 28 2/3 innings, which included getting out of a jam in the third inning where the Guardians had men on second and third and just one out.
“Obviously, (Skubal) gave everything that he could and more,” Hinch said. “(Saturday) wasn’t his fault. He was in complete control of the game and I wish we could have staked some runs for him to get a little bit of breathing room.”
Detroit did opening the scoring when Kerry Carpenter, who was battling a hamstring injury, limped to first base after blasting a ball off the wall in right field that scored Trey Sweeney from first base.
“I know how uncomfortable it was for him,” Hinch said of Carpenter. “He came up really big with that spot and was able to squeeze three at-bats from him on a day that, when I got to the ballpark, I didn’t know if he would do anything. Carp gutted it out.”
But Cleveland broke the game open in the bottom of the fifth inning. Jose Ramirez was hit by a 100 m.p.h. fastball from Skubal with the bases loaded to force in the tying run. Thomas followed with a grand slam home run to put Cleveland up 5-1.
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“One good swing,” Skubal said in a post-game interview in the locker room. “That’s the game right? One swing, one pitch and that’s what happens in these scenarios. That’s what happens in the post-season. Most games are won by the team that has the big swing, which is usually a homer. So, that’s just part of the game. That’s why it’s beautiful, that’s why you love it because you can be from the highest of highs and you can be from the lowest of lows and that’s the beauty of the game.”
Detroit scratched out single runs in the sixth inning and seventh inning to make it a 5-3 game, but went just one-for-12 with runners in scoring position.
“We had a lot of opportunities,” Hinch said. “If you look down, they only had opportunities in three or four innings and we had it in seven or eight, but they got the biggest swing in the biggest moment with the most at stake and separated themselves and they were able to hang on with a beast of a bullpen that is tough to deal with.”
After dealing veterans away at the deadline and rallying from eight-games under .500 in August to get into the playoffs with 13 rookies on the roster, Saturday’s loss was painful for the Tigers, but the club believes it is looking at a bright future.
“We’re here to stay,” Carpenter said in a post-game interview in the locker room. “We have a bunch of young guys and a bunch of people who want to get better and are going to use this off-season to get better.
“Everybody in this organization is really excited and I think we put the world on notice that we can do big things in this clubhouse with these guys.”
jpparker@postmedia.com
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