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

On the first pitch he saw from Detroit Tigers starter Tarik Skubal in the bottom of the fifth inning, Thomas blasted a grand slam to help the Guardians to a 7-3 victory and a place in the ALCS against the New York Yankees.

“He threw one pitch over the middle, and I put a good swing on it. It’s as simple as that,” Thomas said afterward. “I don’t know how many scoreless innings he threw [in the series]. It just takes one.”

Skubal had been cruising along, quieting the Guardians’ bats through four innings, which gave him a total of 17 scoreless innings pitched in this postseason. But in the bottom of the fifth, the AL pitching Triple Crown winner and likely Cy Young recipient got himself into a jam that 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 it with his bat like he has done so many times during the season, Ramírez took one for the team — a hit by pitch on the arm — to tie the game 1-1.

With Skubal in a tough spot, it was a prime opportunity for Thomas to be aggressive. Much like he did with a first-pitch, three-run blast in Game 1, his grand slam struck a blow in the Tigers’ hopes with their ace on the mound.

Thomas, who had 9 RBI in the ALDS, loved swinging away when the count was 0-0 during the regular season. The 29-year-old outfielder, who was acquired from the Washington Nationals on July 29, was 18-for-63 (.286) with a home run and 9 RBI on first pitches this season. So far in October, he has three hits — two of them home runs — in such situations.

“That’s who we are. That’s who that group has been in that room all year. As soon as we get punched, we answer,” manager Stephen Vogt said postgame. ” … But we can’t rely on the home run. We have to string things together, and our guys did both today. And then we got the add-on runs at the end, and I thought today was just a perfect picture of who our team is at our best — and couldn’t have come on a better day.”

The Tigers had a chance to respond in the top of the sixth inning following Thomas’ blast. They brought in a run on a Jake Rogers single, which made it 5-2, and after a Trey Sweeney walk, the bases were loaded for righty-killer Kerry Carpenter.

Carpenter had started the game on the bench while battling a nagging hamstring injury. He pinch-hit for Justyn-Henry Malloy in the top of the fifth and promptly knocked a 370-foot single to right-center field, scoring Sweeney and giving the Tigers a 1-0 lead.

But in the sixth, Carpenter could not win the bases-loaded battle against Guardians reliever Hunter Gaddis.

The Tigers scraped across one more run in the seventh, making in 5-3 before the Guardians added insurance runs in the seventh and eighth. Emmanuel Clase recorded the final six outs, including another massive strikeout of Carpenter in the eighth inning, to seal the victory for Cleveland.

“I have a heartbroken team for all the right reasons,” Tigers manager AJ Hinch said afterward. “We left everything we could on the field against a really good team, and we didn’t want the season to end as abruptly as it did. …

“I just told the guys … Once you play in one October, you never want to miss one the rest of your career, ever. And so we’re going to need to do a lot of work to get better and continue to play the brand of baseball that is winning baseball.”

With the Game 5 victory, the Guardians advance to the ALCS for the first time since 2016. Game 1 of Guardians vs. Yankees will be Monday at 7:38 p.m. ET at Yankee Stadium.

“You have to believe. If you don’t believe in your group, don’t even show up,” Vogt said. “We knew, as soon as we got back to Cleveland, we had a chance.”

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Check out Week 8 Northeast Ohio high school football scores.

This post will be updated.

Thursday

Chagrin Valley Conference, Chagrin Division

Hawken 50, Orange 13

Lutheran West 23, West Geauga 20

Chagrin Valley Conference, Metro Division

Cuyahoga Heights 39, Beachwood 6

Chagrin Valley Conference, Valley Division

Kirtland 49, Chagrin Falls 0

Cleveland West Conference

Buckeye 59, Normandy 13

North Olmsted 14, Bay 10

Rocky River 28, Westlake 19

Greater Cleveland Conference

Strongsville 50, Shaker Heights 0

Lake Erie League

Maple Heights 40, Bedford 6

Senate Athletic League

East Tech 32, John F. Kennedy 8

John Hay 43, John Marshall 18

Rhodes at Lincoln West – canceled

Suburban League, American Conference

Copley 48, Barberton 27

Highland 41, Revere 0

Suburban League, National Conference

North Royalton 21, Twinsburg 14

Brecksville-Broadview Heights 28, Solon 19

Western Reserve Conference

Chardon 31, Mayfield 7

Kenston 31, Riverside 14

Friday

Akron City Series

Ellet 28, North 0

Chagrin Valley Conference, Chagrin Division

Perry 49, Harvey 13

Chagrin Valley Conference, Lake Division

Madison 44, Jefferson Area 6

Chagrin Valley Conference, Metro Division

Trinity 40, Brooklyn 12

Wickliffe 33, Independence 14

Chagrin Valley Conference, Valley Division

Berkshire 23, Crestwood 14

Fairview 56, Cardinal 20

Cleveland West Conference

Valley Forge 35, Lakewood 14

Greater Cleveland Conference

Mentor 45, Brunswick 14

Cleveland Heights 44, Medina 0

Lake Erie League

Lorain 60, Shaw 7

Garfield Heights at Warrensville Heights

Lorain County League

Black River 47, Brookside 14

Columbia 22, Clearview 18

Keystone 33, Firelands 18

Wellington 39, Oberlin 3

Mahoning Valley Conference, Grey Division

Brookfield 28, Ravenna Southeast 27

Garrettsville Garfield 40, Newton Falls 0

Metro Athletic Conference

Coventry 21, Akron Springfield 13

Field 37, Cloverleaf 10

Streetsboro 45, Ravenna 10

Norton 7, Woodridge 6

North Coast Conference

Lake Catholic 49, Elyria Catholic 6

Holy Name 13, Padua 7

Northeast Athletic Conference

Fairport Harding 43, Ashtabula St. John 13

Principals Athletic Conference

Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy 55, Canal Fulton Northwest 21

Manchester 34, Wooster Triway 27 3OT

Southwestern Conference

Amherst 44, Elyria 10

Olmsted Falls 43, Avon Lake 37 2OT

North Ridgeville 42, Berea-Midpark 33

Avon 49, Midview 10

Suburban League, American Conference

Aurora 49, Kent Roosevelt 14

Tallmadge 48, Cuyahoga Falls 7

Suburban League, National Conference

Hudson 23, Nordonia 22

Wadsworth 49, Stow-Munroe Falls 23

Western Reserve Conference

Willoughby South 27, Eastlake North 7

Nonconference

Cleveland Central Catholic at Lutheran East

Youngstown Chaney 28, University School 0

Archbishop Hoban 20, Glenville 0

Gilmour Academy 35, Brush 7

Canton Central Catholic 41, Richmond Heights 6

Erie (Pa.) 22, Euclid 0

Benedictine 42, Erie Cathedral Prep (Pa.) 14

Green 28, Louisville 0

Mogadore 47, Collinwood 0

Walsh Jesuit 63, Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin 21

Rootstown 42, Grand Valley 22

Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller 44, St. Ignatius 0

Canal Winchester Harvest Prep 40, St. Vincent-St. Mary 13

Youngstown Ursuline 24, Villa Angela-St. Joseph 17

Saturday

Akron City Series

Garfield at Buchtel, noon

Firestone vs. East at Ellet, noon

Nonconference

Mississauga Football North (Ontario) vs. St. Edward at Lakewood, 2 p.m.

Windham at Vanlue, 6 p.m.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Week 8 high school football scores from around Ohio, as provided by The Associated Press.

Ada 46, Van Buren 18

Akr. Coventry 21, Akr. Springfield 13

Akr. Ellet 28, Akr. North 0

Akr. Hoban 20, Cle. Glenville 0

Amanda-Clearcreek 42, Circleville Logan Elm 12

Amherst Steele 44, Elyria 10

Ansonia 52, Lewisburg Tri-County N. 7

Apple Creek Waynedale 20, Doylestown Chippewa 0

Archbold 39, Wauseon 26

Ashland 56, Millersburg W. Holmes 28

Athens 41, Wellston 0

Attica Seneca E. 56, New Washington Buckeye Cent. 21

Aurora 49, Kent Roosevelt 14

Avon 49, Grafton Midview 10

Barnesville 44, Woodsfield Monroe Cent. 14

Batavia 38, New Richmond 0

Batavia Clermont NE 49, Fayetteville-Perry 13

Beaver Eastern 43, Portsmouth Notre Dame 22

Bellbrook 38, Monroe 10

Bellefontaine 50, Urbana 19

Bellefontaine Benjamin Logan 30, Richwood N. Union 26

Beloit W. Branch 49, Alliance 0

Berlin Center Western Reserve 42, Atwater Waterloo 16

Beverly Ft. Frye 28, Marietta 21

Bishop Fenwick 35, Cin. McNicholas 7

Bishop Hartley 44, Bloom-Carroll 38

Bishop Ready 49, Delaware Buckeye Valley 14

Bishop Watterson 53, Cols. St. Charles 0

Bluffton 42, Ft. Loramie 28

Bowling Green 35, Tol. Woodward 8

Bryan 35, Swanton 14

Bucyrus Wynford 48, Bucyrus 12

Burton Berkshire 23, Mantua Crestwood 14

Caldwell 63, Shadyside 7

Caledonia River Valley 38, Sparta Highland 14

Camden Preble Shawnee 34, Arcanum 0

Can. Cent. Cath. 41, Richmond Hts. 6

Can. McKinley 35, Uniontown Lake 21

Can. South 35, Navarre Fairless 13

Canal Winchester 42, Logan 0

Canfield S. Range 41, Niles McKinley 0

Cardington-Lincoln 42, Loudonville 13

Carey 19, N. Robinson Col. Crawford 10

Carrollton 35, Salem 34, OT

Casstown Miami E. 35, DeGraff Riverside 0

Castalia Margaretta 35, Kansas Lakota 0

Centerville 45, Clayton Northmont 0

Chesapeake 57, Gallipolis Gallia 21

Chillicothe 40, Greenfield McClain 7

Chillicothe Unioto 28, Chillicothe Zane Trace 14

Cin. Anderson 46, Cin. Walnut Hills 7

Cin. College Prep. 6, Cin. Shroder 0

Cin. Hughes 42, Cin. Woodward 28

Cin. Moeller 44, Cle. St Ignatius 0

Cin. Princeton 62, Fairfield 30

Cin. Taft 76, Cin. Western Hills 0

Cin. Winton Woods 12, Cin. West Clermont 7

Clarksville Clinton-Massie 42, Mt. Orab Western Brown 14

Cle. Benedictine 42, Cathedral Preparatory School, Pa. 14

Cle. Hay 43, Cle. John Marshall 18

Cle. Hts. 44, Medina 0

Coldwater 24, New Bremen 7

Collins Western Reserve 41, Greenwich S. Cent. 15

Cols. Briggs 52, Columbus South 12

Cols. DeSales 39, Cols. KIPP 6

Cols. Grandview Hts. 49, Cols. Centennial 6

Cols. Hamilton Twp. 47, Baltimore Liberty Union 20

Cols. Linden-McKinley 38, Cols. Whetstone 10

Cols. Walnut Ridge 48, Cols. Eastmoor 21

Columbia Station Columbia 22, Lorain Clearview 18

Columbiana Crestview 43, Warren Champion 7

Columbus Grove 49, Convoy Crestview 7

Conneaut 29, Ashtabula Edgewood 27

Corning Miller 41, Fairfield Christian 21

Coshocton 45, Crooksville 29

Creston Norwayne 17, Dalton 14

Cuyahoga Falls CVCA 55, Canal Fulton Northwest 21

Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit 63, Chardon NDCL 21

Danville 12, Centerburg 0

Day. Chaminade Julienne 68, Day. Carroll 0

Defiance Tinora 21, Defiance Ayersville 0

Delaware Hayes 34, Dublin Scioto 25

Delaware Olentangy Berlin 27, Dublin Jerome 20

Detroit Catholic Central, Mich. 37, Toledo St John’s Jesuit 3

Dola Hardin Northern 52, Crestline 14

Dover 35, Mansfield Madison 3

Dresden Tri-Valley 35, Philo 7

E. Liverpool 42, Bellaire 8

East 50, Cols. Beechcroft 25

Eaton 45, Brookville 24

Edon 47, W. Unity Hilltop 6

Erie McDowell, Pa. 38, Austintown-Fitch 35

Erie, Pa. 22, Euclid 0

Fairborn 27, Greenville 0

Fairport Harbor Harding 43, Ashtabula St John 13

Fairview 56, Middlefield Cardinal 20

Findlay Liberty-Benton 38, Leipsic 0

Fostoria 36, Millbury Lake 32

Franklin 21, Hamilton Ross 0

Fredericktown 31, Howard E. Knox 0

Fremont Ross 26, Sylvania Southview 21

Ft. Recovery 36, Rockford Parkway 24

Galion 31, Marion Pleasant 10

Galion Northmor 16, Mt Gilead 14

Galloway Westland 31, Westerville S. 14

Garfield Hts. Trinity 40, Brooklyn 12

Garrettsville Garfield 40, Newton Falls 0

Gates Mills Gilmour 35, Lyndhurst Brush 7

Geneva 43, Ashtabula Lakeside 0

Germantown Valley View 24, Trenton Edgewood 20

Gibsonburg 55, Willard 14

Gnadenhutten Indian Valley 41, W. Lafayette Ridgewood 27

Green 28, Louisville 0

Grove City Christian 41, Sugar Grove Berne Union 7

Hamilton 42, Middletown 7

Hamilton Badin 13, Kettering Alter 10

Hamler Patrick Henry 37, Delta 3

Hannibal River 38, Sarahsville Shenandoah 7

Harrison 56, Oxford Talawanda 15

Harrod Allen E. 41, Delphos Jefferson 0

Haviland Wayne Trace 34, Antwerp 0

Heath 51, Newark Cath. 0

Hilliard Davidson 42, Dublin Coffman 14

Hubbard 30, Cortland Lakeview 20

Huber Hts. Wayne 43, Miamisburg 7

Hudson 23, Macedonia Nordonia 22

Ironton 41, Proctorville Fairland 0

Jackson 43, Washington C.H. Miami Trace 27

Jamestown Greeneview 33, London Madison-Plains 0

Jeromesville Hillsdale 36, West Salem Northwestern 6

Johnstown 76, Hebron Lakewood 0

Kettering Fairmont 24, Springboro 7

Kings Mills Kings 45, Milford (OH) 0

LaGrange Keystone 33, Oberlin Firelands 18

Lakeside Danbury 52, Sebring McKinley 0

Lancaster Fairfield Union 50, Circleville 22

Lancaster Fisher Cath. 35, Millersport 6

Lebanon 48, Cin. Turpin 28

Lewis Center Olentangy 21, Hilliard Darby 0

Lewis Center Olentangy Orange 28, Cols. Upper Arlington 20

Lewistown Indian Lake 14, Spring. Shawnee 0

Liberty Center 42, Metamora Evergreen 0

Liberty Twp. Lakota E. 56, Cin. Sycamore 12

Lima 79, Tol. Waite 0

Lima Bath 28, Defiance 0

Lima Cent. Cath. 36, Spencerville 7

Lisbon David Anderson 42, Leetonia 28

London 85, New Carlisle Tecumseh 0

Lorain 60, E. Cle. Shaw 7

Lore City Buckeye Trail 32, Strasburg 13

Loveland 42, Morrow Little Miami 3

Lowellville 34, N. Jackson Jackson-Milton 17

Lucas 50, Pioneer N. Central 0

Lucasville Valley 49, Oak Hill 13

Madonna, W.Va. 46, Beallsville 6

Magnolia Sandy Valley 21, Uhrichsville Claymont 7

Magnolia, W.Va. 34, New Matamoras Frontier 32

Malvern 38, Newcomerstown 28

Maria Stein Marion Local 42, Anna 0

Martins Ferry 41, Cambridge 0

Marysville 42, Thomas Worthington 14

Mason 31, Cin. Colerain 0

Massillon Jackson 21, Can. Glenoak 7

Massillon Washington 41, Legacy School of Sport Sciences, Texas 0

Maumee 45, Rossford 7

McArthur Vinton County 39, Bidwell River Valley 0

McComb 37, Arlington 7

McDonald 41, Campbell Memorial 7

McGuffey Upper Scioto Valley 28, Marion Elgin 8

Mentor 45, Brunswick 14

Mentor Lake Cath. 49, Elyria Cath. 6

Milan Edison 41, Port Clinton 7

Milford Center Fairbanks 24, Spring. NE 21

Milton-Union 49, Tipp City Bethel 0

Minster 35, Versailles 0

Mogadore 47, Cle. Collinwood 14

Mogadore Field 37, Lodi Cloverleaf 10

Monroeville 49, Ashland Mapleton 0

Morral Ridgedale 20, Cory-Rawson 3

Mt. Blanchard Riverdale 32, Bloomdale Elmwood 18

Mt. Victory Ridgemont 41, N. Baltimore 7

N. Bend (Cleves) Taylor 36, Cin. Madeira 12

N. Can. Hoover 27, Massillon Perry 10

N. Ridgeville 42, Berea-Midpark 33

Nelsonville-York 47, Albany Alexander 0

New Albany 44, Grove City Cent. Crossing 7

New Concord John Glenn 67, Warsaw River View 0

New Franklin Manchester 34, Wooster Triway 27, 3OT

New Lexington 41, Byesville Meadowbrook 19

New Madison Tri-Village 55, New Lebanon Dixie 17

New Middletown Spring. 34, Mineral Ridge 27

Newark 35, Ashville Teays Valley 7

Newark Licking Valley 22, Granville 19

Northwood 18, Montpelier 7

Oak Harbor 38, Genoa 7

Olmsted Falls 43, Avon Lake 37, 2OT

Ontario 45, Marion Harding 14

Oregon Clay 35, Napoleon 14

Orrville 34, Massillon Tuslaw 28

Ottawa-Glandorf 21, Celina 7

Parma Hts. Holy Name 13, Parma Padua 7

Parma Hts. Valley Forge 35, Lakewood 14

Pataskala Licking Hts. 14, Mt. Vernon 7

Pataskala Watkins Memorial 41, Zanesville 6

Paulding 50, Hicksville 18

Pemberville Eastwood 35, Tontogany Otsego 20

Perry 49, Painesville Harvey 13

Perrysburg 37, Findlay 14

Pickerington Cent. 35, Groveport-Madison 28

Pickerington N. 28, Grove City 7

Piketon 35, Southeastern 0

Plymouth 40, New London 12

Point Pleasant, W.Va. 44, Vincent Warren 13

Poland Seminary 24, Girard 6

Pomeroy Meigs 38, Minford 7

Portsmouth 42, Ironton Rock Hill 20

Portsmouth W. 35, McDermott Scioto NW 0

Powell Olentangy Liberty 37, Hilliard Bradley 14

Purcell Marian 60, Norwood 20

Racine Southern 55, Belpre 14

Reading 21, Cin. Deer Park 16

Reedsville Eastern 41, Glouster Trimble 20

Reynoldsburg 26, Lancaster 23

Richmond Edison 44, Rayland Buckeye 0

Riverdale Baptist, Md. 28, Cin. Elder 27, OT

Rootstown 42, Orwell Grand Valley 22

S. Charleston SE 31, Cedarville 14

Salineville Southern 31, Youngs. Valley Christian 14

Sandusky 22, Clyde 21

Sandusky Perkins 49, Norwalk 0

Shelby 34, Bellville Clear Fork 7

Sherwood Fairview 42, Edgerton 28

Smithville 42, Rittman 13

Spring. Kenton Ridge 28, Plain City Jonathan Alder 27

Springfield 60, Beavercreek 8

St Clairsville 28, Belmont Union Local 14

St Marys 64, Kenton 28

St. Henry (OH) 49, Delphos St John’s 6

St. Paris Graham 37, Spring. NW 21

St. Xavier (OH) 9, Cin. La Salle 0

Steubenville 34, Huron Heights, Ontario 19

Streetsboro 45, Ravenna 14

Struthers 26, Youngs. East 6

Sugarcreek Garaway 49, Zoarville Tuscarawas Valley 7

Sunbury Big Walnut 32, Westerville N. 31, OT

Tiffin Calvert 51, Elmore Woodmore 21

Tiffin Columbian 28, Bellevue 14

Tipp City Tippecanoe 63, W. Carrollton 6

Tol. Cent. Cath. 7, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s Prep, Mich. 6

Tol. Rogers 46, Tol. Scott 8

Tol. St. Francis 28, Dearborn Divine Child, Mich. 21

Tol. Whitmer 63, Sylvania Northview 0

Toronto 68, Bowerston Conotton Valley 27

Trotwood-Madison 67, Day. Dunbar 0

Troy 42, Riverside Stebbins 35

Upper Sandusky 13, Sycamore Mohawk 6

Utica 7, Johnstown Northridge 3

Van Wert 28, Lima Shawnee 14

Vandalia Butler 46, Sidney 43

Vermilion 13, Huron 10

W. Alexandria Twin Valley S. 43, Bradford 6

W. Chester Lakota W. 52, Cin. Oak Hills 7

W. Jefferson 34, N. Lewisburg Triad 6

W. Liberty-Salem 42, Mechanicsburg 13

Wadsworth 49, Stow-Munroe Falls 23

Wapakoneta 35, Elida 0

Warren Harding 20, Youngs. Mooney 6

Warren JFK 47, Louisville Aquinas 0

Washington C.H. 50, Hillsboro 30

Waterford 42, Cadiz Harrison Cent. 7

Waynesfield-Goshen 26, Lima Perry 7

Waynesville 38, Middletown Madison 0

Wellington 39, Oberlin 3

Wheelersburg 42, Waverly 12

Wheeling Central, W.Va. 38, Steubenville Cath. Cent. 6

Whitehouse Anthony Wayne 43, Holland Springfield 13

Wickliffe 33, Independence 14

Williamsburg 47, Lees Creek E. Clinton 0

Williamsport Westfall 42, Frankfort Adena 34

Willoughby S. 27, Eastlake North 7

Willow Wood Symmes Valley 47, Portsmouth Sciotoville 8

Wilmington 41, Goshen 0

Wintersville Indian Creek 14, Beaver 8

Wooster 42, Mansfield 24

Xenia 30, Piqua 8

Youngs. Chaney High School 28, Hunting Valley University 0

Youngs. Liberty 22, Leavittsburg LaBrae 16

Youngs. Ursuline 24, Cle. VASJ 17

Zanesville W. Muskingum 43, Zanesville Maysville 0