ALDS RECAP: Guardians Order Winner-Take-All with a side of Fry, win 5-4

A bunt and a blast were the perfect combo for forcing Game Five

On October 25, 1997, riding a strong five innings as well as a 2-RBI double from Chad Ogea, the Cleveland Indians scored four runs off Marlins ace Kevin Brown to force a Game Seven in the World Series. That was 9,847 days ago, and it was the last time the baseball team from the city of Cleveland won a postseason elimination game.

Until last night.

From an outsider’s perspective, it had to have been an amazing baseball game to watch. Rich with drama, clutch hitting (and pitching), and managerial decisions that either had the viewer scratching their head or thinking they’re geniuses, this game truly had everything. From the perspective of a fan of the Guardians, however, this game took years off your life.

The Guardians got things going early against Reese Olson again, and once again, it was Lane Thomas.

That opposite field, RBI single from Thomas was Cleveland’s first run in 21 innings, and it was once again all started by Steven Kwan. Kwan led off the game with a line drive single, extending his postseason hitting streak to nine games, the second longest streak in Cleveland playoff history, and his great night was just getting started.

With a 1-0 lead, Tanner Bibee found himself in a pitcher’s worst nightmare as he loaded the bases with no outs. A Trey Sweeney sacrifice fly evened things at 1-1, but Bibee induced an inning ending double play ball to Jake Rogers, getting out of the jam without trailing. An incredibly big moment in these early stages.

The game went scoreless for the next two frames, but the fifth inning rolled around and José Ramírez finally decided it was his turn to join the festivities and hit number 40 (sort of) on the season.

This right hook gave the Guardians a 2-1 lead, but Detroit would immediately counter with a left hook of their own as Zack McKinstry would take a Tanner Bibee fastball deep to left and gone, evening the game back up at 2-2.

The Guardians would turn to Cade Smith in the fifth inning, and after getting through the fifth, Vogt left him in there for the sixth against the heart of Detroit’s lineup. Smith gave up a leadoff single to Kerry Carpenter, and after striking out Matt Vierling, he walked Riley Greene. Vogt would then bring in Hunter Gaddis. Gaddis struck out Colt Keith for the second out, but just when it seemed the Guardians were going to get out of a jam with a tied game still intact, Wenceel Pérez blooped a single into shallow left-center field to give Detroit their first lead of the night, 3-2.

Detroit went to Sean Geunther out of the bullpen to face the bottom of Cleveland’s lineup. After getting Jhonkensy Noel to ground out and Brayan Rocchio to fly out, Steven Kwan grounded a single up the middle to give the Guardians a two-out base runner with a chance to tie the game late. Stephen Vogt went to David Fry to hit for Manzardo against the lefty Geunther, so AJ Hinch countered with his own move, summoning reliable right-handed Beau Brieske.

It appeared right away that Brieske wasn’t as sharp as the Guards had seen him all series, and a wild pitch advanced Kwan to second. Fry worked the count to 2-2, and on the sixth pitch of the at-bat, Fry got a middle-cut fastball, and he didn’t miss.

David Fry’s improbable 2024 has taken him from Arlington for the All-Star Game to rounding the bases in Game Four of the ALDS with an unbelievably clutch go-ahead home run. In terms of win probability added, Fry’s home run ranks sixth all-time in Cleveland’s postseason history. Guardians now lead, 4-3.

The Guardians were poised to add one more run in the eighth, but a brilliant diving play by Colt Keith robbed Andrés Giménez of an RBI single, keeping the game at 4-3.

Tim Herrin relieved Hunter Gaddis for the bottom half of the eighth, and his roller coaster ALDS continued, allowing a single to begin the inning to Riley Greene. After getting pinch hitter Andy Ibáñez to fly out, Herrin allowed another base hit to Wenceel Pérez, putting a runner in scoring position with just one out. Similar to Game Two, Vogt made the call to go to Emmanuel Clase. Clase cleaned up the mess, inducing a groundout from Zack McKinstry before striking out Trey Sweeney to end the threat. 4-3, good guys.

The top of the ninth saw the Guardians add a clutch insurance run while also adding to the lore that is David Fry. After Austin Hedges flew out, Brayan Rocchio and Steven Kwan notched back-to-back singles with Kwan’s advancing Rocchio to third. Detroit went to Will Vest out of the bullpen, and David Fry did the unthinkable: he laid down a bunt. The safety squeeze was on, and by the tip of his oven mitt-styled sliding glove, Rocchio scored, putting the Guardians up 5-3.

Clase stayed on for the ninth, and though a leadoff double to Justyn-Henry Malloy eventually came around to score, Clase was nails as he was before, closing down the Tigers to deliver the knockout blow in Game Four, sending this series to a winner-take-all Game Five.

Game Five will be a rematch of Game Two. Soon-to-be Cy Young Winner Tarik Skubal versus Matthew Boyd in Cleveland on Saturday night. The Buckeyes will just have to wait.