Video: Lane Thomas hits grand slam for Guardians off Tigers ace Tarik Skubal

CLEVELAND — If Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal is Goliath, you can now call Guardians center fielder Lane Thomas the David of the American League Division Series.

One pitch after presumptive AL Cy Young Award winner Skubal hit Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez in the left forearm with one out in the fifth inning Saturday afternoon, Thomas launched a grand slam to left-center field, giving the Guardians a 5-1 lead in a winner-take-all Game 5 at Progressive Field .

It was Cleveland baseball's first grand slam in the playoffs since Francisco Lindor hit one in Game 2 of the ALDS on Oct. 6, 2017, against the New York Yankees.

The Guardians tied the score 1-1 when Skubal hit Ramirez with the bases loaded, driving second baseman Andres Gimenez home.

Fighting through a hamstring injury, Kerry Carpenter pinch hit for Justyn-Henry Malloy in the fifth inning and hit an RBI single off reliever Andrew Walters to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead.

But the Guardians countered right away and took a commanding lead.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Video: Lane Thomas hits grand slam for Guardians off Tigers ace Tarik Skubal