Carpenter becomes October star as 9th inning homer off Clase sends Tigers to 3-0 win over Guardians

By TOM WITHERS The Associated Press

Detroit Tigers' Trey Sweeney (27) and Jake Rogers wait at home plate for teammate Kerry Carpenter (30) after Carpenter hit a three-run home run in the ninth inning during Game 2 of baseball's AL Division Series against the Cleveland Guardians, Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/David Dermer]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Kerry Carpenter took one swing and floored baseball’s preeminent closer. Carpenter connected for a three-run homer off Cleveland’s Emmanuel Clase with two outs and two strikes in the ninth inning, sending the Detroit Tigers to a dramatic 3-0 win over the Guardians in Game 2 on Monday night. Carpenter drove a 2-2 pitch from usually unhittable Clase 423 feet into the right-field seats. It was another one of those October moments that can define a player, and the fact he did it off Clase wasn’t lost on Carpenter. He’s the first player to hit a two-out, two-strike homer in the ninth inning since Kirk Gibson’s memorable shot off Dennis Eckersley in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series.