3 Detroit Tigers to blame after heartbreaking ALDS Game 5 loss to Guardians

The Detroit Tigers' magic postseason run came to its conclusion on Saturday with a 7-3 loss to the Cleveland Guardians in Game 5 of the ALDS. Cleveland moves on to battle the New York Yankees for a trip to the World Series, while the Tigers begin an offseason of uncertainty.

Nobody expected Detroit to reach this stage. The Tigers hadn't played postseason baseball in a decade and, for several months this season, it felt as though Detroit was destined for another basement-dwelling campaign. After the All-Star break, however, the "Gritty Tigs" emerged, energized by A.J. Hinch's inventive approach and a few underrated "stars."

Tarik Skubal was the obvious frontman, a Cy Young favorite quickly emerging as the best arm in baseball, but Detroit received contributions from across the board. Detroit does not have your traditional All-Star apparatus in the heart of the lineup, but Hinch was able to pick and choose matchups as well as any manager in the sport, always finding the right players in the right moments.

The Tigers' endless relay of pinch hits and baton-passing almost culminated in a surprise ALCS appearance, but the Guardians proved too much in this series. Lane Thomas smashed the go-ahead grand slam in the fifth inning and added a few more insurance runs to boot. Emmanuel Clase, seeking vengeance for his Game 2 stinker, pulled out an impressive six-out save to end the game and punch Cleveland's ticket to the next round.

Mostly, Detroit deserves a ton of credit for getting to this point with baseball's youngest roster and a ton of mismatched parts. But, we have to blame a few folks, too.

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3 Detroit Tigers to blame after ALDS Game 5 loss to Guardians

3. Kerry Carpenter

This feels wrong, but no Tigers player was given more opportunities to swing the game back in Detroit's favor. I am not suggesting that Kerry Carpenter face some sort of inquisition for his Game 5 performance — he has been the Tigers' hero all postseason, and he almost was this afternoon — but he did come up small when it mattered most. And hey, again, we can't really blame him. Consider this more of a matter-of-fact account of what happened, rather than a denigration of what Carpenter accomplished on the October stage.

Carpenter pinch-hit at the top of the lineup in the fifth inning with a runner on first base. After injuring his hamstring, Carpenter quite literally could not run. He managed to rocket a baseball off the right field fence, which scored the runner from first, but he couldn't stretch it to a double because, well, he can't run.

That is not what Carpenter did "wrong," though. He gave Detroit a 1-0 lead that felt monumental with Skubal throwing fire on the mound. Unfortunately, Skubal slipped up and gave up five runs in the bottom of the inning.

The next time Carpenter limped to the plate, he was dealt the bases loaded and two outs in a three-run game. Another hit into the gap might've tied the game. A home run would've put Detroit in the lead. After a gutsy at-bat, Carpenter went down swinging against Hunter Gaddis. Inning over, game over.

Carpenter deserves so much credit for playing this game with a bum hamstring that probably would've sidelined him for weeks in the regular season. But, it's a cruel world, and the simple fact of the matter is that Carpenter, for reasons largely outside his control, couldn't quite get the job done when Detroit's backs were up against the wall.

2. Matt Vierling

Matt Vierling was famously the only Tigers player with postseason experience, but he didn't show it this afternoon. Detroit's No. 2 hitter went a cold 0-for-5 in the biggest game of the season, stalling runs and handing Cleveland early advantages in crucial innings.

He didn't just go 0-for-5 either. Vierling struck out four times in Game 5, including a backwards-K to lead off the top of the ninth inning. That just won't fly in October. The Tigers have always won on the strength of the collective, but Vierling is one of the most dependable bats in that lineup (normally). You cannot lay a goose egg of that magnitude in a win-or-go-home game. Ya just can't, especially not as your team's veteran leader.

Vierling was great for much of the Tigers' late-season push, but he couldn't find his swing when it mattered most. The talented third baseman should get a chance to avenge this performance one day, but until then, it will leave a sour taste in the fanbase.

1. Tarik Skubal

Tarik Skubal put together 28 straight scoreless innings before the bottom of the fifth inning this afternoon. He was up to his ususally high standard through four, but it all fell apart in that fateful fifth frame.

Skubal gave up the leadoff single to Andres Gimenez, Cleveland's No. 8 hitter. He managed to K Brayan Rocchio, but then the bloodbath began. Skubal gave up a single to Steve Kwan, let David Fry reach base on an infield dribbler to load 'em up, then nailed Jose Ramirez with a high, inside fastball to bring home the tying run.

That brought Lane Thomas to the plate with the bases loaded and one out in a 1-1 ballgame. Thomas struggled upon his arrival in Cleveland at the trade deadline, but he's been raking well enough in the postseason. He made the swing of his life on Skubal's first pitch and rocketed the go-ahead grand slam over the left field fence. That was, in the end, all Cleveland needed.

Skubal came back with a five-pitch, 1-2-3 sixth inning, but the damage was done. The one bad inning of Skubal's short postseason career is sure to haunt him for a while. The 27-year-old deserves so much credit for the job he's done this postseason, but Cleveland cracked the code in the end.