Dominant closer Clase hits his 3-run home run in the ninth as the Tigers beat the Guardians 3-0 in ALDS Game 2

Associated Press

CLEVELAND (AP) — Emmanuel Clase's near-perfect season is now flawed.

Cleveland's All-Star closer, who has dominated like no other pitcher in the majors over the past six months, surrendered a three-run home run to Detroit's Kerry Carpenter with two outs in the ninth inning on Monday as the Tigers defeated the Guardians 3-2. 0 defeated Game 2 of the ALDS.

Clase threw a second inning for only the second time in 2024 and showed that he, too, can be hit.

Guardians manager Stephen Vogt did not question his decision to bring Clase into a close game. In fact, he would do it again and again.

“I felt like we wanted to use our best pitcher at that moment,” Vogt said. “He was the best pitcher in baseball all year, and with the game on the line, we wanted to get them. And he’s pitched multiple innings for us a few times this year.”

“So I wanted to come in there and stop the game with Clase.”

This time he didn't.

The right-hander got two hits against Carpenter and catcher Bo Naylor wanted his next throw to land in the dirt. He missed it.

Clase let it go. Carpenter got it out.

“Emmanuel was so good for us and everything was going well until Carpenter fixed the slider,” Vogt said. “You have the best pitcher in the world on the mound. You're going to put him up against every batsman. Carpenter is a phenomenal hitter.”

“He got a mistake and didn’t miss it. You have to take your hat off.”

Clase recorded 47 saves this season, a new single-season franchise high, and he also surpassed Cody Allen for the career club lead. He hasn't made a save since May and finished the regular season with a 0.61 ERA, the lowest in team history.

Nothing seemed to faze him and there was never a time when he wasn't available for Vogt, who has leaned on the three-time All-Star and baseball's best bullpen since Opening Day.

Clase offered no excuses and the 26-year-old said he simply made a bad pitch.

“The plan was to do it in the ground where the catcher asked,” he said through an interpreter. “I just didn’t follow through. And that cost us the game.”

Clase had thrown eight scoreless innings in the postseason before Carpenter hit the home run. He also allowed just two home runs and just five earned runs all season.

Vogt usually ends the game by shaking Clase's hand. For the first time in his memory he had to take the ball away from him.

“Emmanuel was locked up all year,” Vogt said. “He was almost perfect. He is also human. These things are going to happen and it’s unfortunate when it happened, but at the same time he’s going to have the ball again in the ninth.”

“He’s the best closer in the game for a reason, and they happened to get him tonight.”

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