Tigers Rally Late for Dramatic Win Against Guardians

CLEVELAND – The Detroit Tigers showed resilience Sunday as they rallied late to defeat the Cleveland Guardians 7-2 at Progressive Field. The win marked their third consecutive victory in the series, bringing their record to 57-34.

Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal was impressive, throwing seven shutout innings and striking out 10 batters, maintaining his undefeated streak since April. Skubal allowed only three hits and did not walk any batters during the game.

Detroit faced challenges in the ninth inning when pinch runner Spencer Torkelson stole second base and scored on a wild pitch to tie the game at 1-1. Torkelson had a bit of a humorous moment using Sweeney’s first baseman’s glove, saying, “I washed my hands” after the game.

The Tigers weren’t done there. In the 10th inning, shortstop Trey Sweeney hit a pivotal home run off Cade Smith, giving Detroit a 4-1 lead as he celebrated his first home run against a fastball. After jumping to an impressive early lead, Gleyber Torres reached on an error, and Matt Vierling doubled him home.

Riley Greene, who had struggled at the plate, hit a two-run homer, solidifying Detroit’s lead with a total of six runs in the extra inning. “I thought it was gonna stay fair,” Sweeney said about his home run.

The dramatic comeback came after a tough loss last October in the American League Division Series against the Guardians. The Tigers’ confidence is clearly growing as several players are getting postseason recognition, including Skubal, who was named to the AL All-Star Team for the second year in a row.

Manager A.J. Hinch expressed his pride in the team, saying, “That was an incredible win for us in dramatic fashion.”

Cleveland starter Gavin Williams also performed well, giving up only one hit until the fifth inning. However, it was Skubal’s dominating performance that kept the Guardians at bay most of the game.

The Tigers will next face the Tampa Bay Rays, with their first game set for 6:40 p.m. on July 7 at Comerica Park.