Watch Guardians outfielder Jhonkensy Noel cut down Tigers baserunner with elite throw

CLEVELAND — With the Guardians and Detroit Tigers in a scoreless tie, rookie right fielder Jhonkensy Noel made an incredible defensive play to keep Cleveland unscathed through five innings of Game 2 of the American League Division Series .

Detroit's Justyn-Henry Malloy hit a would-be double to right field off Guardians starting pitcher Matthew Boyd with one out in the top of the fifth inning. But Noel gathered the ball in the right-field corner at Progressive Field and fired a strike to shortstop Brayan Rocchio, who applied the tag to a sliding Malloy for the second out of the inning.

The Guardians then summoned Cade Smith from the bullpen, and he struck out Matt Vierling.

Tigers ace Tarik Skubal had a perfect game going until the Guardians' Josh Naylor broke it up with a one-out double in the fifth inning.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Watch Guardians outfielder Jhonkensy Noel cut down Tigers baserunner with elite throw