Fri Oct 11 00:50:00 UTC 2024: ## Tigers Stun Guardians in Game 2, Carpenter’s Walk-Off Homer Sinks Clase
**CLEVELAND** – The Detroit Tigers pulled off a stunning upset in Game 2 of the AL Division Series, defeating the Cleveland Guardians 3-0 thanks to a three-run walk-off home run by Kerry Carpenter off All-Star closer Emmanuel Clase in the ninth inning.
Carpenter, who had entered the game in the eighth as a pinch hitter, connected on a 423-foot blast with two outs, sending the Guardians’ rowdy home crowd into stunned silence. Clase, who had not allowed a run since August 30 and led the American League with 47 saves, was making just his second multi-inning appearance of the season.
The Tigers’ victory evens the series at 1-1, and they will now head back to Detroit for Games 3 and 4 with a chance to take control.
Detroit ace Tarik Skubal dominated the Guardians, pitching seven shutout innings and allowing just three hits. He struck out eight batters before the Guardians managed their first hit in the fifth inning.
The Tigers’ offense was kept quiet by Guardians pitching until the ninth, when Jake Rogers and Trey Sweeney singled before Carpenter’s dramatic home run.
Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said he had no regrets about using Clase for multiple innings, highlighting the closer’s dominance throughout the season. However, he acknowledged that Clase is “human too” and that “these things are going to happen.”
The Tigers, who finished the regular season strong with a 31-13 record after August 11, are showing their resilience in the postseason, having already upset the AL West champion Houston Astros in the Wild Card Series.
“We now have two games at our place. We know it’s going to be electric,” said Tigers manager A.J. Hinch. “We know Detroit has waited a really long time for a playoff game. We’re going to have a couple of them and a chance to take control of this series.”
The series now shifts to Comerica Park in Detroit for Games 3 and 4, with the Guardians planning to start Alex Cobb, who returns from a middle finger blister. The Tigers have yet to announce their starting pitcher for Game 3.
First Piper 