Rare Tarik Skubal meltdown ruins clutch Kerry Carpenter moment for Tigers

It had been exactly one month since Tarik Skubal had given up a home run to an opposing hitter. The Detroit Tigers ace had been virtually unhittable heading into his start in Game 5 of the ALDS against the Cleveland Guardians Saturday.

Then, suddenly, he wasn't.

Skubal looked like his dominant self early in the win-or-go-home matchup, but things quickly fell apart in the fifth inning. The AL Cy Young Award frontrunner gave up a leadoff single to Andrés Giménez before striking out Brayan Rocchio. Skubal proceeded to give up back-to-back singles to Steven Kwan and David Fry, which allowed Giménez to score and tie the game at 1-1.

With runners on second and third, José Ramírez was hit by a pitch from Skubal, loading the bases for the Guardians. Then, all it took was one big swing from Lane Thomas to break the ballgame wide open and give Cleveland a 5-1 lead.

As Thomas sent the ball sailing over the outfield wall in left-center field for a grand slam, it marked a meltdown of epic proportions for one of baseball's most dominant arms. Skubal remained in the game to get the final two outs of the inning, and he came back out for a five-pitch sixth inning, but the damage had already been done.

Rare Tarik Skubal meltdown ruins clutch Kerry Carpenter moment for Tigers

Game 5 between Detroit hand Cleveland had been shaping up to be more of a pitcher's duel than many had expected, particularly with the latter throwing a bullpen game. After four scoreless innings, the Tigers finally got things going offensively in the top of the fifth when Trey Sweeney drew a leadoff walk.

Kerry Carpenter then came in to pinch-hit for Justyn-Henry Malloy and lined a single to right field that scored Sweeney to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead. It was just the latest example of clutch hitting from Carpenter during this series, after he belted a three-run homer off Cleveland All-Star closer Emmanuel Clase in the ninth inning of a 3-0 Detroit win in Game 2 Monday.

Carpenter's clutch hit in Game 5 was especially big for the Tigers, considering his status for the game was unknown when he was left out of the starting lineup with a left hamstring injury sustained after he rounded third and scored a run in the sixth inning of Game 4 to give the Tigers a 3-2 lead Thursday. Unfortunately, it was quickly overshadowed by a rare meltdown from Skubal.

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