CLEVELAND (AP) — Lane Thomas hit a three-run homer in a five-run outburst before Detroit got an out, and the Cleveland Guardians unleashed their lights-out bullpen to complete a four-hitter in a 7-0 win over the Tigers in an AL Division Series opener on Saturday.
Thomas' shot — on his first career postseason swing — helped the Guardians cool off the Tigers, who stormed into the playoffs with a second-half surge before sweeping AL West champion Houston in the wild-card round.
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Cleveland Guardians' Lane Thomas shouts as he runs the bases after hitting a home run in the first inning during Game 1 of baseball's AL Division Series against the Detroit Tigers, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer)
Cleveland Guardians' Hunter Gaddis pitches in the eighth inning during Game 1 of baseball's AL Division Series against the Detroit Tigers, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Phil Long)
Cleveland Guardians' Brayan Rocchio runs to second base with a double in the eighth inning during Game 1 of baseball's AL Division Series against the Detroit Tigers, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer)
Cleveland Guardians' Emmanuel Clase gestures after the Cleveland Guardians defeated the Detroit Tigers in Game 1 of baseball's AL Division Series, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer)
Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Tanner Bibee is greeted as he returns to the dugout after being taken out of the game in the fifth inning during Game 1 of baseball's AL Division Series against the Detroit Tigers, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer)
Detroit Tigers' Zach McKinstry celebrates a hitting a double at second base during the second inning of Game 1 of baseball's AL Division Series against the Cleveland Guardians, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer)
Cleveland Guardians' Andres Gimenez, right, steals second base as Detroit Tigers shortstop Trey Sweeney takes the throw in the third inning during Game 1 of baseball's AL Division Series, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer)
Cleveland Guardians second baseman Andres Gimenez, right, throws the ball to first base after forcing out Detroit Tigers' Colt Keith (33) at second base on a double play ball hit by Spencer Torkelson in the fourth inning during Game 1 of baseball's AL Division Series, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer)
Fans cheer in the fifth inning during Game 1 of baseball's AL Division Series between the Detroit Tigers and the Cleveland Guardians, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Phil Long)
Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt, left, and Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch, right, greet each other before Game 1 of baseball's American League Division Series against the Detroit Tigers, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Cleveland Guardians' Tim Herrin pitches in the seventh inning during Game 1 of baseball's AL Division Series against the Detroit Tigers, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer)
Cleveland Guardians' Cade Smith pitches in the sixth inning during Game 1 of baseball's AL Division Series against the Detroit Tigers, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Phil Long)
Detroit Tigers relief pitcher Tyler Holton (87) is taken out of the game in the first inning during Game 1 of baseball's AL Division Series against the Cleveland Guardians, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer)
Cleveland Guardians' Lane Thomas (8) is greeted at the plate by teammates Josh Naylor, rear and third baseman Jose Ramirez, second right, in front of Detroit Tigers catcher Jake Rogers, right, after hitting a home run in the first inning during Game 1 of baseball's AL Division Series, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Phil Long)
Cleveland Guardians left fielder Steven Kwan celebrates his double at second base in the first inning during Game 1 of the baseball's American League Division Series against the Detroit Tigers, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer)
Cleveland Guardians' Lane Thomas shouts as he runs the bases after hitting a home run in the first inning during Game 1 of baseball's AL Division Series against the Detroit Tigers, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer)
“It was electric,” said Thomas, acquired from Washington at the trade deadline. “It was everything I had thought and more."
Tanner Bibee pitched 4 2/3 innings before Guardians manager Stephen Vogt swung the door open to baseball's best bullpen to finish off the Tigers.
Cleveland's relievers combined for 4 1/3 hitless innings to finish and match the largest shutout victory margin in club postseason history. Detroit struck out 13 times and didn't get a runner past first in the final four innings.
The shutout was the worst in Detroit playoff history since Game 1 of the 1945 World Series.
“We're going to see a lot of this bullpen,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “The more you look at them, hopefully, the more comfortable you get.”
Cleveland's bullpen was as advertised. Rookie Cade Smith (1-0) replaced Bibee and struck out all four batters. Tim Herrin took care of the seventh, Hunter Gaddis the eighth, and Emmanuel Clase, who led the AL with 47 saves, worked the ninth.
David Fry added a two-run double for the AL Central champion Guardians, who were unaffected by not playing for almost a week with a first-round bye.
“We came out ready to swing the bat, and we looked like we didn’t take five days off,” Vogt said.
Game 2 is Monday, when the Tigers will turn to Tarik Skubal, the favorite to win the AL Cy Young Award, to try and even the best-of-five series.
The 2,327th meeting between Detroit and Cleveland was the first between the franchises and Central division rivals in the postseason.
It was as good as over after one inning.
Hinch has made the right decisions for months as his young club went from being under .500 at the trade deadline to qualifying for the postseason with a 33-13 flourish since Aug. 11.
Hinch used his bullpen in Game 1 from the start and it backfired.
The Guardians sent nine batters to the plate in the first with Thomas' moon shot into the left-field bleachers opening the 5-0 lead. Cleveland became the first team in AL postseason history to score five runs before recording an out.
Steven Kwan got it rolling with a leadoff double against Tigers starter Tyler Holton (0-1) and Fry walked. José Ramírez followed with a hard hopper to third that Zach McKinstry misplayed for an error, allowing Kwan to score.
“I tried to make a play and I didn't. We ended up losing the game because of it,” said McKinstry, who put some of the blame on the grounds crew. “They watered the field before the game, but they didn't water it for the game and it took a weird hop.”
Josh Naylor's RBI single made it 2-0 and Hinch pulled Holton after just four batters to bring in Reese Olson.
Thomas, who batted just .143 with 33 strikeouts in 77 at-bats after coming over from the Nationals, made his first postseason at-bat with the Guardians unforgettable.
He turned on Olson's first pitch — a slider down the heart of the plate — and launched it over the wall, sending the majority of 33,548 fans inside Progressive Field into a frenzy.
Bibee admitted feeling nerves ahead of the opener, and he showed some in the first, throwing 27 pitches.
But taking the mound in the second with a five-run lead helped Bibee settle in. The right-hander gave up four hits and struck out six before handing the ball to Vogt and a bullpen with no detectable flaws.
“I totally get it,” Bibee said. “With how good our pen has been, I get it. It makes sense. Obviously, I want to stay out there as long as possible, but I get it.”
TRAINER'S ROOM
Guardians: RHP Alex Cobb, a candidate to start Game 3, was added to the ALDS roster after finishing the regular season on the injured list with a blister on his middle finger. He made just three starts after being acquired in a July trade from San Francisco.
UP NEXT
Skubal led the AL in wins (18), ERA (2.39) and strikeouts (228). The left-hander is expected to face Guardians RHP Matthew Boyd, who spent eight seasons with the Tigers and remains close friends with Skubal.
Correction: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.
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Cleveland Guardians' Lane Thomas shouts as he runs the bases after hitting a home run in the first inning during Game 1 of baseball's AL Division Series against the Detroit Tigers, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer)
Cleveland Guardians' Hunter Gaddis pitches in the eighth inning during Game 1 of baseball's AL Division Series against the Detroit Tigers, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Phil Long)
Cleveland Guardians' Brayan Rocchio runs to second base with a double in the eighth inning during Game 1 of baseball's AL Division Series against the Detroit Tigers, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer)
Cleveland Guardians' Emmanuel Clase gestures after the Cleveland Guardians defeated the Detroit Tigers in Game 1 of baseball's AL Division Series, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer)
Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Tanner Bibee is greeted as he returns to the dugout after being taken out of the game in the fifth inning during Game 1 of baseball's AL Division Series against the Detroit Tigers, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer)
Detroit Tigers' Zach McKinstry celebrates a hitting a double at second base during the second inning of Game 1 of baseball's AL Division Series against the Cleveland Guardians, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer)
Cleveland Guardians' Andres Gimenez, right, steals second base as Detroit Tigers shortstop Trey Sweeney takes the throw in the third inning during Game 1 of baseball's AL Division Series, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer)
Cleveland Guardians second baseman Andres Gimenez, right, throws the ball to first base after forcing out Detroit Tigers' Colt Keith (33) at second base on a double play ball hit by Spencer Torkelson in the fourth inning during Game 1 of baseball's AL Division Series, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer)
Fans cheer in the fifth inning during Game 1 of baseball's AL Division Series between the Detroit Tigers and the Cleveland Guardians, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Phil Long)
Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt, left, and Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch, right, greet each other before Game 1 of baseball's American League Division Series against the Detroit Tigers, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Cleveland Guardians' Tim Herrin pitches in the seventh inning during Game 1 of baseball's AL Division Series against the Detroit Tigers, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer)
Cleveland Guardians' Cade Smith pitches in the sixth inning during Game 1 of baseball's AL Division Series against the Detroit Tigers, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Phil Long)
Detroit Tigers relief pitcher Tyler Holton (87) is taken out of the game in the first inning during Game 1 of baseball's AL Division Series against the Cleveland Guardians, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer)
Cleveland Guardians' Lane Thomas (8) is greeted at the plate by teammates Josh Naylor, rear and third baseman Jose Ramirez, second right, in front of Detroit Tigers catcher Jake Rogers, right, after hitting a home run in the first inning during Game 1 of baseball's AL Division Series, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Phil Long)
Cleveland Guardians left fielder Steven Kwan celebrates his double at second base in the first inning during Game 1 of the baseball's American League Division Series against the Detroit Tigers, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer)
Cleveland Guardians' Lane Thomas shouts as he runs the bases after hitting a home run in the first inning during Game 1 of baseball's AL Division Series against the Detroit Tigers, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer)
