The Detroit Tigers' season comes to an end, falling victim to the Guardians in Game 5 of the ALDS

The 2024 season is over for the Detroit Tigers.

After an improbable postseason run, the Tigers were eliminated by the Cleveland Guardians after losing 7-3 in Game 5 of the American League Division Series.

Detroit had the right man for the job to close out the series on Saturday with Tarik Skubal on the mound, but unfortunately couldn't hold it together.

The Guardians started the final game of the series with Matthew Boyd on the mound. It was clear he felt the magnitude of the moment from the start when he hit Tiger's Justyn-Henry Malloy on the first throw of the day.

Boyd only managed two innings before Guardians manager Stephen Vogt went to the team's dynamic bullpen. He left the game having recorded five strikeouts and 11 whiffs during that span.

The game was a tough battle for the first four innings, with few chances for each team that ultimately fell short.

In the bottom of the third inning, what appeared to be a routine fly ball catch by the Tigers' outfielder was dropped, allowing two Guardians to get into scoring position with just one out in the frame. However, Skubal has once again proven why he is the best pitcher in the MLB. The winner of this season's AL Triple Crown threw his next five pitches into the strike zone and finished the inning without any damage. This included the team intentionally walking Guardians superstar Jose Ramirez to load the bases. Skubal finished the inning with a 99.2 mph four-seam fastball that led to a weak popup from Cleveland's Lane Thomas.

After leaving the fourth game on Thursday with a hamstring injury while on the bases, Tigers outfielder Kerry Carpenter continued his hot postseason streak in the start of the fifth inning. Carpenter hit an RBI single that brought Trey Sweeney in from first base after the ball went over the head of Guardians outfielder Jhonkensy Noel to put Detroit on the field for the game's first run.

However, the lead would not last.

In the bottom of the fifth, the Tigers ace's extended scoreless streak ended as Skubal quickly loaded the bases. He then hit Jose Ramirez with a pitch to tie the game. Guardians outfielder Lane Thomas then came to the plate with the bases juiced for the second straight game. This time he didn't miss his chance. Thomas hit a grand slam against Skubal and took a commanding 5-1 lead.

It was the first grand slam for the Guardians since the 2017 ALDS against the New York Yankees. For Skubal, it was the first home run he allowed in a month and the first grand slam he allowed in his entire MLB career. It's a difficult time to admit the first mistake with the season on the line.

The two teams each scored a few more runs, increasing the Guardians' lead to 7-3. Cleveland brought in its star closer Emanuel Clase to shut out its division rival with a six-out save.

The Tigers went from being “sellers” at the MLB trade deadline with a 0.2% chance of reaching the postseason to being just one game away from contending for the American League pennant. Overall, a very impressive season for a young squad to look forward to.

With the Tigers set to focus on the offseason, the Guardians will travel to the Bronx on Monday to face the New York Yankees in a best-of-seven series to advance to the World Series.