CLEVELAND, Ohio — Guards Ball giveth and Guards Ball taketh away. And when it takes, it hurts.
The Guardians hustled their way back into Tuesday’s American League wild card opener with an array of infield hits and a headfirst slide at the plate. But it was the Tigers who beat the Guardians at their own game on the way to a 2-1 win and a 1-0 lead in the best-of three-series.
The Tigers benefitted from having left-hander Tarik Skubal at the top of his game. Skubal, facing the Guardians for the third time since Sept. 18, allowed one run in 7 2/3 nnings while tying a Detroit postseason record with 14 strikeouts.
The Guardians face elimination in Game 2 on Wednesday at 1:08 p.m. It will be Cleveland’s Tanner Bibee (12-11, 4.24) will face vs. RHP Casey Mize (14-6, 3.87)
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Detroit won it on a squeeze bunt by Zach McKinstry in the seventh inning that scored Riley Greene from third to break a 1-1 tie. Gavin Williams, who had allowed one unearned run through the first six innings, came out for the seven and allowed a leadoff double to Riley Greene. Wenceel Perez sent a hard grounder that deflected off Jhonkensy Noel’s glove at first base and bounced to Brayan Rocchio at second.
Rocchio threw to Noel, who was scrambling back to the bag. He caught the throw, but couldn’t hold the bag with his foot as Greene went to third. Perez was originally credited with a hit, but the official scorer later changed it to an error by Noel.
Hunter Gaddis relieved Williams and struck out Dillon Dingler. But McKinstry sent a perfect sac-bunt down the first baseline to score Greene with the winning run.
The Guardians missed a great chance to at least tie the score when Jose Ramirez hit a leadoff single in the ninth and raced all the way to third on shortstop Javier Baez’s throwing error. Will Vest, however, struck out pinch-hitter George Valera for the first out. Kyle Manzardo bounced back to the mound and Ramirez, going on contact, was caught in a rundown for the second out. Vest ended the game by getting C.J. Kayfus to pop out to shortstop.
This was the seventh game between Cleveland and Detroit since Sept. 16. It was just the second victory for the Tigers, who lost first place in the AL Central to the Guardians on Sunday, the final day of the regular season.
Williams (0-1) allowed two runs, both unearned, in six innings. He struck out eight, walked one and allowed six hits.
In four starts againt the Tigers this season, Williams is 2-1 and has allowed two earned runs in 23 innings.
Skubal (0-1) cruised through the first three innings with a 1-0 lead. The Guardians pulled even in the fourth with their own brand of baseball.
Angel Martinez opened the inning with a soft single past the mound to second base. Ramirez walked on a 3-2 pitch, but Skubal needed only six pitches to strikeout Johnathan Rodriguez and Manzardo.
The opportunity seemed to have gotten away from the Guardians until Gabriel Arias bounced a high-chop single off the plate that landed behind the mound. Martinez, on a great send by third base coach Rouglas Odor, scored all the way from second, sneaking his left hand between catcher Dillon Dingler’s legs to tag the plate and tie the score ahead of Skubal’s throw home.
Plate umpire Shane Livensparger called Martinez out, but the Guardians challenge and the play call on the field was overturned.
In Martinez’s at-bat, he fouled an 0-2 pitch back to the screen. The ball hit apparently broke a camera above the door to the umpire’s clubhouse. The umpires and staff member had to sweep up the broken glass before play resumed.
The Tigers took a 1-0 lead in the first on Spencer Torkelson’s two-out single to left off Williams. Rodriguez assisted on the play in right field when he stumbled fielding Kerry Carpenter’s single, allowing Carpenter to go to second base on his error. It proved to be the first of two costly errors by the Guardsians.
Torkelson’s bloop single was more than enough to get the run home.
Next
RHP Tanner Bibee (12-11, 4.24) vs. RHP Casey Mize (14-6, 3.87) Wednesday at 1:08. ESPN, WTAM 1100, WMMS 100.7 FM, WARF and the Guardians radio network will carry the game.