The Cleveland Guardians and the Detroit Tigers are set to square off for the right to play against the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series.
There is no magic number.
There is also no tomorrow.
The equation is simple: the winning team will move on to the next round.
The loser will go home and their season will end.
The Tigers will have their ace Tarik Skubal on the mound on Saturday.
They will, however, feel the absence of one of their best hitters.
“Tigers slugger Kerry Carpenter (hamstring) not in starting lineup,” Guardians insider Tom Withers posted on X.
Tigers slugger Kerry Carpenter (hamstring) not in starting lineup.
— Tom Withers (@twithersAP) October 12, 2024
Carpenter has been dealing with a hamstring issue.
There is a very good chance that, depending on the game situation, he could make an appearance as a pinch-hitter.
“Kerry Carpenter will go thru a workout before Tiger decide on his status, but he hit in cages yesterday and this morning according to A.J. Hinch. If he can do that, hard to see baserunning as a major impediment,” Tigers insider Jason Beck reported.
Kerry Carpenter will go thru a workout before Tiger decide on his status, but he hit in cages yesterday and this morning according to A.J. Hinch. If he can do that, hard to see baserunning as a major impediment.
— Jason Beck (@beckjason) October 12, 2024
Per Withers, Tigers manager A.J. Hinch is optimistic Carpenter can come off bench.
Tigers manager A.J. Hinch optimistic Kerry Carpenter can come off bench. Will be a game-time decision, but he felt better today.
— Tom Withers (@twithersAP) October 12, 2024
If you are a Guardians fan, you likely remember Carpenter for hitting the unlikely three-run home run against Emmanuel Clase in the ninth inning of Game 2 that broke a scoreless tie between the two teams at Progressive Field.
He was an asset in the regular season, with a .932 OPS and 18 home runs in 87 games.
The Guardians might want to be as stingy as they can with baserunners in the late innings, because if Hinch sees a good spot, he will not hesitate to bring in Carpenter.
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