Behind a five-run first inning, the Cleveland Guardians defeated the Detroit Tigers 7-0 in Game 1 of the 2024 American League Division Series at Progressive Field in Cleveland on Saturday.
After starting pitcher Tanner Bibee shut down the Tigers in the top of the first, the Guardians scored five runs before Detroit recorded an out in the bottom of the first, punctuated by a three-run home run from Guardians outfielder Lane Thomas:
Tigers manager A.J. Hinch made the somewhat controversial decision to go with an opener in Tyler Holton, and that move backfired, as he surrendered two hits, one walk, four total runs and three earned runs without getting an out.
Hinch lifted Holton for the bulk pitcher in Reese Olson after Holton gave up two runs, and Thomas made Detroit pay with a three-run blast.
Thomas, who was an in-season trade acquisition from the Washington Nationals, struggled to the tune of a .209 batting average, seven home runs and 23 RBI in 53 regular-season games with the Guardians, but he garnered plenty of praise on social media after his clutch hit Saturday:
Stephen Vogt, who was a two-time All-Star in 10 seasons as an MLB catcher with six different teams, made his postseason managerial debut Saturday.
After leading the Guardians to a 92-69 record and an American League Central title in his first year as a manager, Vogt seemingly pushed all the right buttons in Game 1.
In addition to the positioning of Thomas in the Cleveland lineup compelling Hinch to lift Holton early, Vogt went to his bullpen early, and it helped preserve a dominant shutout win.
Rather than allowing Bibee to go the requisite five innings needed to get a win, Vogt pulled him at the first sign of trouble after 4.2 innings and proceeded to watch as his stacked bullpen comprised of Cade Smith, Tim Herrin, Hunter Gaddis and Emmanuel Clase combined to allow no hits and no runs with seven strikeouts in 4.1 innings.
Given how everything worked out to perfection, Vogt received his flowers from fans on social media:
After going 76-86 last season and missing the playoffs, Vogt had the Guardians playing like one of the best teams in baseball throughout the 2024 campaign, and that has clearly carried over to the postseason.
The Guardians lack star power aside from third baseman José Ramírez, but they got their usual timely hitting Saturday and leaned on an elite bullpen that featured four pitchers who had an ERA under 2.00 during the regular season.
Cleveland has not reached the American League Championship Series since 2016 when it went all the way to the World Series and fell to the Chicago Cubs in seven games.
The Guardians now have to be considered favorites to go to the ALCS, but they still have a ton of work ahead of them.
Things figure to be much tougher on the Cleveland lineup in Monday’s Game 2 when the Tigers deploy ace Tarik Skubal, who is the likely AL Cy Young Award winner after going 18-4 with a 2.39 ERA and 228 strikeouts.
Cleveland will counter with former Tigers pitcher Matthew Boyd, who 2-2 with a 2.72 ERA in eight starts during the regular season.
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