The Guardians have endured a long and sordid history with postseason baseball. Edgar Renteria and Miguel Montero are among the franchise's biggest adversaries, etched into history in the Rock and Roll Capital of the World not for their baseball prowess but rather for their ability to inflict pain into Cleveland's raucous fanbase.
Through the first four innings of the Guardians' ALDS Game 5 clash with the Tigers, it seemed as if Tarik Skubal would join Renteria and Montero as horsemen of Cleveland baseball's apocalypse. The pitching Triple Crown winner — and likely AL Cy Young recipient — had befuddled the Guardians' bats, whiffing five as Detroit raced out to a one-run lead.
The advantage was precarious. But with Skubal on the mound, the odds seemed ever in the Tigers' favors.
Lane Thomas had other ideas.
The Guardians outfielder landed a ferocious blow on his gifted adversary in the bottom of the fifth, connecting with Skubal's middle-in fastball and sending it into oblivion with the bases loaded. His blast gave Cleveland a commanding lead, all at the expense of the towering southpaw widely believed be baseball's greatest hurler.
Here's what you need to know about Thomas' grand slam, which provided the game-winning runs in the Guardians' eventual 7-3 win over the Tigers and sent Cleveland to the ALCS.
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Lane Thomas grand slam video
LANE THOMAS. GRAND SLAM. @CLEGUARDIANS ON TOP.#ALDS pic.twitter.com/9bxvHY59T9
— MLB (@MLB) October 12, 2024
Lane Thomas trade
- Guardians receive: OF Lane Thomas
- Nationals receive: LHP Alex Clemmey, SS Rafael Ramirez Jr., IF Jose Tena
Thomas wasn't always a Guardian. In fact, he didn't become a Clevelander until this year's trade deadline.
Thomas entered the year as a National, expected to contribute to Davey Martinez's lineup in a big way after posting average- to slightly above-average numbers at the plate for the franchise in 2021, 2022 and 2023.
Thomas' consistency at the plate made him an ideal candidate to be shipped if the Nats were out of postseason contention in 2024. Lo and behold, Washington bottomed out of wild-card consideration come the end of the July. Cleveland's front office watched with bated breath, desperate to secure Thomas' services and fortify Stephen Vogt's cavalry in the hopes of securing a playoff berth.
Those desires came to a head on July 29. The Guardians and Nationals agreed to a deal, with Cleveland sending prospects Alex Clemmey, Rafael Ramirez Jr. and Jose Tena to the nation's capital in exchange for Thomas.
Clemmey and Ramirez ranked No. 8 and No. 22 in the Guardians' prospect rankings, respectively. Tena, meanwhile, has straddled the lines between Double-A, Triple-A and the big leagues since being added to Cleveland's 40-man roster in 2021.
The trio hasn't offered too much to D.C. since their arrival, although they are all 23 years old or younger, so there's plenty of time for them to grow. Thomas, meanwhile, has proved a solid bulwark in Vogt's lineup. He's contributed five RBI (and counting) in Game 5, four of which came on that epic fifth-inning moonshot.
