Emmanuel Clase sends the Cleveland Guardians to ALCS with a rare 6-out save

Emmanuel Clase had a pretty poor October leading up to the fifth ALDS game, but Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt still had faith in the league's most dominant finish on Saturday.

Clase took the mound with no outs in the top of the eighth inning against the Detroit Tigers, leaving a runner on first while the Guardians led 6-3. After forcing a line out and a fly out, Clase struck out Kerry Carpenter in an eight-pitch at-bat to get out of the frame unscathed.

Because Clase had another run guaranteed in the ninth, he needed only nine pitches to pitch a 1-2-3 inning and secure the win. Clase made a perfect six-out save to help Cleveland advance to the ALCS.

According to MLB.com's Sarah Langs, this was only the 14th six-out save in a winner-take-all postseason game since saves became official in 1969. It was the first since Lance McCullers Jr. threw a save with the Houston Astros in Game 7 of the 2017 ALCS, although McCullers was a starting pitcher by trade.

The last save with six outs and zero baserunners recorded in the postseason before Clases came by San Francisco Giants closer Camilo Doval in Game 3 of the 2021 NLDS, according to StatMuse Baseball.