Guards tame Tigers with thrilling 10th inning heroics

*Above video shows key dates for Guardians this season*

CLEVELAND (AP) — Brayan Rocchio singled home automatic runner Ramón Laureano with one out in the 10th inning, giving the Cleveland Guardians a 5-4 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday.

Cleveland forced extra innings on David Fry’s solo homer in the ninth against Andrew Chafin, then completed its comeback when Rocchio sharply smacked a pitch from closer Alex Lange (0-2) into center field.

Rocchio also scored an unearned run in the eighth off Joey Wentz to pull the Guardians within 4-3. It was his first career walk-off hit.

Emmanuel Clase (2-1) earned the win with a scoreless inning as Cleveland moved into a tie for the second-best record in the American League at 24-13.

It was Detroit’s major league-high 15th one-run game of the season. The Tigers are 7-8 in those games.

The Tigers scored four times in the fourth to grab a 4-2 lead, highlighted by rookie Colt Keith’s two-run single. Zach McKinstry doubled home Keith with the go-ahead run and Javier Báez followed with a sacrifice fly off Tanner Bibee.

Detroit starter Reese Olson allowed one hit in six innings — a two-run single by Austin Hedges in the second — and is winless in seven outings since beating the Dodgers on Sept. 20, 2023. The right-hander gave up one earned run and struck out four.

Hedges singled with the bases loaded to put the Guardians ahead 2-0. Josh Naylor and Fry scored, capitalizing on an dropped-ball error by second baseman Andy Ibáñez.

Bibee worked four innings, giving up four runs while striking out five. The right-hander threw 44 of his 82 pitches in the fourth.

Cleveland’s top power-hitting prospect, Kyle Manzardo, had a pinch-hit single in the seventh for his first major league hit. He went 0 for 7 with five strikeouts in his first two games.

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