Kerry Carpenter launched a three-run homer with two outs in the top of the ninth inning to lift the Detroit Tigers to a 3-0 victory over the host Cleveland Guardians on Monday afternoon in Game 2 of the American League Division Series.
Carpenter hit a 423-foot blast into the right field seats to break a scoreless tie and help the Tigers even the best-of-five series at 1-1.
Probable AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal tossed seven shutout innings for the Tigers. He gave up three hits and struck out eight with no walks.
Game 3 is Wednesday at Detroit.
Guardians star closer Emmanuel Clase (0-1) retired the first two batters in the ninth before Jake Rogers singled to left and Trey Sweeney singled to right center to put runners on the corners.
Carpenter then engaged in a six-pitch at-bat with Clase and jumped on a 2-2 slider for a towering shot that was his first career postseason homer.
In the regular season, Clase gave up just five earned runs in 74 appearances. He gave up all three Detroit runs Monday.
Will Vest (1-0) pitched a perfect eighth and Beau Brieske struck out two in the ninth for his second save of the postseason.
Cleveland starter Matthew Boyd allowed four hits over 4 2/3 scoreless innings against his former club. He struck out five and walked two.
Matt Vierling had two hits and two walks for the Tigers. Teammate Justyn-Henry Malloy also had two hits.
Vierling lined a one-out double to left center in the eighth. Hunter Gaddis struck out Colt Keith before Riley Greene was intentionally walked.
Guardians manager Stephen Vogt called on Clase and Wenceel Perez sent a liner into left field. Kwan made a dash for the ball and made a spectacular diving catch to end the inning. The Tigers requested a replay review and the call was upheld.
Skubal retired the first 13 batters until Josh Naylor ripped a double into the right center gap in the fifth. Skubal then hit Jhonkensy Noel on the hand to put a second runner on base before Andres Gimenez followed with a grounder to second that Andy Ibanez turned into an inning-ending double play.
One inning later, Brayan Rocchio doubled to left and Kwan followed with a single to left to put runners on the corner.
Skubal again got out of trouble as David Fry hit a slow grounder to shortstop that Sweeney turned into a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning.
