Cleveland, OH

MLB playoffs: Lane Thomas' grand slam powers Guardians over Tigers in Game 5, into ALCS vs. Yankees

Published

1 year ago

October 12, 2024

MLB playoffs: Lane Thomas' grand slam powers Guardians over Tigers in Game 5, into ALCS vs. Yankees

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.

Lane Thomas watches his grand slam in the fifth inning of Game 5. (AP Photo/David Dermer) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

“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.”

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Cleveland, OH

Iran strikes spark debate among Northeast Ohio residents

Published

7 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Iran strikes spark debate among Northeast Ohio residents

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – The Cleveland Liberation Center and nearly 100 other organizations rallied in Cleveland Sunday to protest the U.S. strikes on Iran, demonstrating significant grassroots opposition to the military action.

The recent U.S. military strikes on Iran and the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, have ignited passionate discussions across the nation, and Northeast Ohio is no exception.

While state political leaders express support for President Donald Trump’s actions, local activists are raising urgent questions about the impact on American communities.

Dallas Eckman, a public school teacher and volunteer coordinator with the Cleveland Liberation Center, is taking a clear stance against the recent attacks.

“We need to step up as Americans and say violence is not going to be the way we solve out world’s problems,” Eckman said.

The frustration runs deeper for Eckman, who sees a disconnect between military spending and domestic priorities.

“It’s absurd that for me as a public-school teacher I am struggling to get funding for chrome books and books. I can wake up one morning and see we have spent millions and millions of dollars to bomb another country,” he explained.

Eckman questions whether these military actions actually benefit working people in Cleveland.

“Which does nothing for the working people here in Cleveland. It does nothing to make my schools safer. It does nothing to improve the road right outside the liberation center,” Eckman said.

Eckman’s concerns are shared by many in the region.

Despite local opposition, several Ohio’s political leaders are backing the Trump administration’s decision.

Senator Bernie Moreno released a statement expressing his support, stating, “President Trump sought for months to avoid conflict and negotiate with Iran to prevent them from rebuilding their nuclear program. I fully support his decision.”

Secretary of State John Husted also voiced his approval.

“For 47 years, the Iranian regime had ample opportunity to be a productive member of the global community — instead, it chose to export death, terrorism, extremism, and instability against America and our allies,” Husted said.

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Cleveland, OH

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Brooklyn Nets prediction, pick for Sunday 3/1/26

Published

19 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Brooklyn Nets prediction, pick for Sunday 3/1/26

Cooper Albers takes you through his preview, prediction and pick for Sunday’s NBA matchup between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Brooklyn Nets.

Eastern Conference rivals close their regular-season series on Sunday, as the Brooklyn Nets host the Cleveland Cavaliers at Barclays Center.

The Cavaliers (37–24, 4th East) have dropped back-to-back games without Donovan Mitchell and James Harden, albeit against far superior competition. They’ll aim for the three-game sweep of Brooklyn without Mitchell, while Harden remains questionable.

The Nets (15–44, 14th East) are mired in a brutal seven-game losing streak, including a 112–84 thumping in Cleveland on February 19.

Here’s a look at the Injury Report:

Cleveland Cavaliers

Out: Donovan Mitchell (Groin), Max Strus (Foot), Dean Wade (Ankle)
Questionable: James Harden (Thumb), Keon Ellis (Finger)

Brooklyn Nets

Out: Egor Demin (Heel), Drake Powell (G-League Assignment)
Questionable: Nic Claxton (Thumb)

Tipoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET. Cleveland enters as a hefty 11.5-point road favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook, while Brooklyn sits as a +410 underdog. The game’s total is set at 222.5 points.

Cavaliers vs. Nets Preview

Cleveland Cavaliers Preview

The Cavaliers went all in at the NBA trade deadline, sending Darius Garland to Los Angeles for superstar guard James Harden. The gamble seemingly paid off, as the former MVP has fit seamlessly into the lineup alongside Donovan Mitchell. Cleveland went 6–1 after Harden’s debut, its lone loss coming against the defending champs in Oklahoma City.

But the momentum quickly stalled when both Harden and Mitchell hit the sidelines to nurse injuries. Cleveland has dropped back-to-back games in the star duo’s absence against Milwaukee and Detroit. And while Harden is listed as questionable for Sunday’s contest with a thumb fracture in his non-shooting hand, Mitchell remains out with a groin strain.

The Cavs are just 2–4 without Mitchell this season. If Harden stays out, they’ll likely keep relying on their accomplished frontcourt of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. Cleveland also features a solid veteran backup point guard in Dennis Schroder, along with a reliable sharpshooter in Sam Merrill.

Brooklyn Nets Preview

Brooklyn has won five games in 2026. Five.

Were any of these wins particularly impressive? Hardly. They beat a Nikola Jokic-less Denver Nuggets, the spiraling Chicago Bulls twice, the lowly Washington Wizards, and the tanking Utah Jazz.

The Nets rank dead last on both ends of the floor since January 1, disappointing even by their standards. They’ve lost seven games in a row, punctuated by a 37-point walloping in Boston on Friday night.

Michael Porter Jr. will continue trying to carry an increasingly strained offense without rookie standout Egor Demin. Brooklyn will also lean on its burgeoning frontcourt, comprising Noah Clowney and Nic Claxton (questionable).

Cavaliers vs. Nets Pick, Best Bet

Keep an eye on the injury report for this one. If Harden remains sidelined, Cleveland may lack the offensive firepower to pull away. But if the former MVP suits up, expect him and the Cavs to carve up Brooklyn’s porous defense and comfortably cover the 11.5-point spread.