"Tarik Skubal who?" - Guardians fans in a frenzy as Lane Thomas crushes grand slam against Cy Young favorite Tigers ace in ALDS Game 5
It took all five games to decide the winner of the American League Division Series between the Cleveland Guardians and the Detroit Tigers. The Guardians won 7-3 in Game 5 on Saturday and will face the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series.
In the fifth game, center fielder Lane Thomas produced a special moment as he hit a grand slam in the bottom of the fifth inning off Cy Young frontrunner Tarik Skubal to send the home support into raptures.
Following Thomas' huge home run, fans took to social media as they celebrated a massive moment in the biggest game of their season so far.
"Skubal who???" a fan asked
"Poor Skubal smh," a fan said.
"Biggest hit of his career," a fan posted.
Fans were hyped up after the hit and shared their reactions.
"LANE with an absolute rocket," another fan wrote.
"ALL ABOARD THE LANE TRAIN!!" another fan posted.
With the homer, Lane Thomas becomes only the sixth player to hit a postseason grand slam in Guardians history. With another RBI later in the game, he becomes the first player to bat in five or more runners in a 'winner take all' playoff encounter.
Guardians clinch first ALCS berth since 2016 with win over Detroit Tigers
The Cleveland Guardians won the rubber game of their ALDS clash against the Detroit Tigers 7-3 on Saturday. In a series where momentum shifted with every passing game, Cleveland won the opening game convincingly, going on to lose two in a row to the Tigers and then tying the series with a close win at Comerica Park.
In Game 5 at Progressive Field, Lane Thomas' grand slam in the fifth inning provided the Guardians the boost they needed in the decider to seal their place in the championship round and end the Tigers' season.
Thomas added to his fine performance at the plate as he batted in another runner in the bottom of the seventh, giving his side some extra insurance and taking his RBI tally for the day up to five.
Next, the Guardians take on the New York Yankees in what promises to be another thriller of a series. Due to a better regular season record, the Yankees get home-field advantage, and four of the seven games will be played at Yankee Stadium.
With Cleveland 2-4 against their ALCS opponents this season, fans will be hoping that the record changes for the better this time around, with the stakes now much higher.