It was another fine day for postseason baseball in Cleveland, and the Tigers were hoping to make it their last day of baseball in Cleveland this year. With the first win of the Wild Card under their belt and a dazzling performance from Tarik Skubal, it was plenty of pressure for Casey Mize. Mize, who has been excellent lately, is a smart choice for the second game of the series. He would be up against Tanner Bibee for the Guardians.
Parker Meadows demonstrated the Tigers’ eagerness with a leadoff
single in the top of the first. Then a little luck for the Tigers, and a little bad luck for the Guardians, as their rookie center fielder, making his major league debut, committed an error that allowed Torres to reach. Bibee turned things around, though, and got the next three batters out in order, so we were treated to a really early LOB, in true Tigers fashion. In the home half, with one out, George Valera got a solo home run to put the Guardians on the board first. Two outs followed, to Mize didn’t let it rattle him too much, but also not the kind of early performance we want to see.
The Tigers went 1-2-3 in the top of the second. In the home half, Chase DeLauter, the new rookie, got a two-out walk after a really stubborn at-bat, but the baserunner ended up not mattering as Mize got the next out.
With two outs in the third, Gleyber Torres singled, and was then able to advance to second thanks to a wild pitch by Bibee. Once again the baserunner was squandered, though, as Kerry Carpenter popped out to end the inning. Mize really evened out for the third, getting the Guardians out 1-2-3.
Riley Greene laced a one-out double into right where it bounced over Valera, allowing Greene to get safely to second. A Wenceel Perez groundout advanced Greene to third. Dillon Dingler waited out a patient at-bat with Bibee to work himself into a walk. Bibee was starting to lose the zone a little, hopefully enough that the Tigers could take advantage. McKinstry followed Dingler’s lead, working to a full count then getting the walk to load the bases. Baez hit a line drive right between the fielders, bringing two runs in to give the Tigers the lead.
The Guardians challenged the safe call of McKinstry’s slide into third, and while it was exceptionally close, the call was overturned, making McKinstry the third out. Since McKinstry was out before Dingler crossed the plate, this took away the Tigers’ lead and left it as a 1-1 tie. In the home half, Jose Ramirez got a leadoff walk, and then unexpectedly, Casey Mize was pulled from the game. There was no sign of injury in Mize, so this was likely AJ Hinch being very proactive of some of the wilder pitches Mize was throwing and getting him out early. Tyler Holton came out of the pen and induced a double play and a groundout to end the inning.
Another good opportunity cropped up for the Tigers in the fifth. With two outs, Kerry Carpenter singled, followed by a Spencer Torkelson walk. That was it for Bibee, who was replaced by Erik Sabrowski, who unfortunately got Greene out to end the inning. In the home half, with two outs, C.J. Kayfus singled. A groundout ended the inning, though, keeping things tied up.
Dillon Dingler got a one-out walk to kick off the sixth, and the Tigers were slowly running out of chances to get ahead in this one. One out later, Hunter Gaddis came in from the Guardians’ pen to get the final out of the inning, but Javier Baez managed a sneaky single, before Gaddis was able to get out of the jam. In the home half with one out, Holton’s day was done. Kyle Finnegan was next out of the Tigers’ pen. He got the second out, then gave up a walk to Jose Ramirez, before getting out of the inning on a Kyle Manzardo groundout.
To start the seventh, Gleyber Torres got hit by a pitch, then he advanced to third on a Kerry Carpenter single. With one out, Tim Herrin replaced Gaddis and got the final two outs of the inning. Finnegan made it through the Guardians’ lineup.
Jakob Junis came on in the eighth. McKinstry got a one-out walk. Then, with two outs, they switched to Cade Smith for pitching, and he got the final out of the inning. At this point, the Tigers were 2-20 for scoring with runners in position. Brutal. Things got much, much worse in the home half. Troy Melton came in to pitch, and with one out, Brayan Rocchio hit a solo home run to take the lead. Steven Kwan then doubled. This was followed by a Daniel Schneemann double to bring Kwan home. After an intentional walk to Ramirez, that was obviously it for Melton, who was replaced by Brant Hurter. With two outs, and right after some confusion between a foul ball and a third strike, it was ruled a foul and then Bo Naylor turned around and hit a three-run homer. At the end of the eighth, it was 6-1 Guardians.
Cade Smith returned in the ninth with a lot more breathing room. Kerry Carpenter got a one-out walk. Then Spencer Torkelson was hit by a pitch to put two men on. With two outs, on what should have been an easy out, Rocchio kicked a ball he meant to catch, and Wenceel Perez was safe on the error. How is Cleveland still winning with all these amateur mistakes? Dingler hit a line drive right a first base, and that was the end of it. Series tied 1-1.
