The Detroit Tigers defeated the Cleveland Guardians 3-0 on Monday afternoon to tie the ALDS at 1-1 as the game shifted to Detroit. The hero was Kerry Carpenter, who in just his second AB of the game launched a three-run homer with two out in the top of the ninth inning. He crushed that moonshot against none other than Emmanuel Clase, the best closer in baseball and a leading candidate for AL Cy Young honors. Clase made the strange decision to smash Carpenter with three straight slips. The third and final shot hung a little too long between the plate and Carpenter, who had been hitting the ball right-handed all season. Baseball is an aesthetic activity as well as an athletic one.

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It was a beautiful shot, sending the baseball more than 400 feet into the right field stands. It was a rare mistake by Clase and perfectly sums up this Tigers season. A pair of two-out singles and a well-timed bomb to even the series and potentially take a two-run home advantage. The Detroit crowd hasn’t seen postseason baseball in a decade. Expect a passionate atmosphere at Comerica Park.