MLB Playoffs: Lane Thomas' grand slam puts the Guardians over the Tigers in Game 5, ALCS vs. Yankees

Lane Thomas' aggressive approach at the plate paid off again for the Cleveland Guardians on Saturday in Game 5 of the ALDS.

On the first pitch he saw in the bottom of the fifth inning from Detroit Tigers starter Tarik Skubal, Thomas hit a grand slam, helping the Guardians to a 7-3 win and advance to the ALCS.

“He threw a throw over the middle and I made a good swing. It’s that simple,” Thomas said afterwards. “I don’t know how many scoreless innings he threw (in the series), just one is enough.”

Skubal had gone four innings, silencing the Guardians' hitters. But in the bottom of the fifth inning, the AL pitching Triple Crown winner and likely Cy Young winner found himself in a jam he couldn't escape.

Singles from Andrés Giménez, Steven Kwan and David Fry brought José Ramírez to the plate with the bases loaded. Instead of the Guardians' third baseman doing so with his bat, as he had done so many times during the season, Ramírez scored for the team – a pitch hit on the elbow – and tied the game 1-1.

With Skubal in a difficult situation, it was a prime opportunity for Thomas to act aggressively. Similar to a three-run blast on the first pitch in Game 1, his grand slam dealt a blow to the Tigers' hopes with their ace on the mound.

Thomas, who had 9 RBI in the ALDS, loved to swing away when the score was 0-0 in the regular season. The 29-year-old outfielder, acquired from the Washington Nationals on July 29, was 18 for 63 (.286) with a home run and 9 RBI on first pitches. Now in the postseason, he has three hits in similar situations, two of them for home runs.

The Tigers had a chance to respond early in the sixth inning after Thomas' blast. They scored a run on a single by Jake Rogers, and after a walk by Trey Sweeney, the bases were loaded for Kerry Carpenter.

Carpenter started the game on the bench, battling a sore Achilles tendon. He came on for Justyn-Henry Malloy and promptly hit a 370-foot single to right-center field to score Sweeney and give the Tigers a 1-0 lead. But he couldn't win the bases-loaded battle with Guardians reliever Hunter Gaddis.

The Guardians will now play in the ALCS for the first time since 2016.

Guardians-Yankees Game 1 is Monday at 7:38 p.m. ET at Yankee Stadium.