Pinch-hitter David Fry hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the seventh inning, then hit an insurance run in the ninth to help the Cleveland Guardians force a decisive Game 5 against the Detroit Tigers in their Division Series. of the American League with a 5-4 victory on Thursday night.
Cleveland ended an 11-game losing streak in postseason elimination games dating back to Game 6 of the 1997 World Series.
Game 5 is Saturday in Cleveland, with ace Tarik Skubal set to start for the Tigers. The winner advances to the American League Championship Series against the New York Yankees or the Kansas City Royals starting Monday.
Fry said the Guardians' resistance was not a surprise.
“We've shown all year that this is what these guys are like,” he said. “We have a lot of tough guys. We are down 2-1 and we are in the locker room as if it were just another day. We arrived ready to play and try to get a victory. And we are going to win Game 5.”
On the verge of reaching the American League Championship Series for the first time since 2013, the Tigers overcame a 2-1 deficit when Zach McKinstry homered in the fifth off Tanner Bibee and Wenceel Perez had an RBI single in the sixth.
Beau Brieske had pitched scoreless ball for 5 1/3 innings in four postseason appearances before Fry, batting for Kyle Manzardo, launched a fastball off a billboard between the two left-side bullpens for the second pinch-hit home run of the Cleveland postseason history after Hank Majeski. in Game 4 of the 1954 World Series.
That calmed 44,923 fans who set a playoff attendance record for the second straight day at the 25-year-old Comerica Park.
Emmanuel Clase retired five batters, preserving a 4-3 lead in the eighth when he escaped a jam at second and third by striking out Trey Sweeney with a 100.9 mph hit when the batter's helmet came off.
Fry's bunt brought home Brayan Rocchio in the ninth to increase the lead, which proved important.
Pinch-hitter Justyn-Henry Malloy doubled leading off the ninth, advanced on Parker Meadows' groundout and scored on Jace Jung's groundout.
Clase, who gave up Kerry Carpenter's three-run homer in the ninth inning of a 3-0 loss in Game 2, struck out Matt Vierling, who couldn't control his swing, for the save.
Lane Thomas ended the Guardians' 20-inning scoreless streak with an RBI single with two outs in the first off Reese Olson, who did not allow a run in the first inning of 22 regular-season starts.
Sweeney hit a sacrifice fly in the second and José Ramírez put Cleveland ahead with a fifth-inning home run off Tyler Holton, ending an 0-for-1 streak.
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