'That's Guard ball': Inside the chaotic approach that has fueled the Guardians' epic rise

CLEVELAND -- The inning spoke volumes for some teams.

It came successful the bottommost of the sixth successful the opening crippled of a important bid betwixt the Cleveland Guardians and Detroit Tigers connected Tuesday. The 2 rivals had been going successful other directions for the amended portion of a period -- the Guardians surging from a seemingly insurmountable shortage portion the Tigers were falling faster than a shot dropped from the precocious platform of Comerica Park.

All-world pitcher Tarik Skubal was nursing a 2-0 lead, meaning the extremity of the Tigers' woes were conscionable a fewer innings away, right? Not truthful fast. Not with "Guard ball" acceptable to beryllium deployed.

What is Guard ball?

"It was conscionable a clump of team-focused at-bats, trying to scratch a fewer runs across," archetypal baseman Kyle Manzardo said.

How astir 3 consecutive bunt attempts, forcing the defence -- and Skubal successful peculiar -- into uncomfortable positions portion the Guardians took advantage. Left fielder Steven Kwan started the inning with a bunt azygous toward 3rd basal and the wheels rapidly came disconnected for the Tigers against Cleveland's signifier of havoc.

"It's ever successful the backmost of my caput against Skubal," Kwan said aft the 5-2 victory.

Kwan has tried bunting toward archetypal basal against Skubal previously, knowing the lefty would person a pugnacious clip making the play. This clip helium went the different direction.

"Was much of a desperation play," helium explained. "Just trying to get thing successful play and make immoderate chaos."

"Chaos" is simply a connection you'll perceive yelled often from the Guardians' dugout. Or possibly it'll beryllium "turmoil." Anything that screams action. The Guardians privation things successful motion.

Kwan's bunt was followed by 1 from Angel Martinez. He accomplished what Kwan had wanted to bash previously: propulsion the shot toward archetypal base.

"We didn't adjacent speech astir it, which is the amusive part," Kwan said. "Everyone was similar 'great idea, back-to-back bunts.' I didn't archer anyone. He didn't archer anyone."

When Skubal fielded Martinez's bunt up the line, helium didn't person clip to crook and occurrence to first, truthful alternatively helium flicked the shot betwixt his legs with his backmost toward the bag. It sailed implicit archetypal baseman Spencer Torkelson's caput and landed down the right-field line, putting runners connected 2nd and 3rd with nary outs.

Cleveland had the Tigers close wherever they wanted them portion Detroit was entering the what-can-go-wrong-will-go-wrong signifier of their game.

"That's Guard shot close there," catcher Austin Hedges said with a smile.

Perhaps the lone astonishment is that it would beryllium Skubal who would proceed to marque mistakes -- immoderate of which came aft a scary infinitesimal erstwhile Guardians DH David Fry was deed successful the look by a 99 mph fastball during his ain bunt attempt.

Fry would yet beryllium carted disconnected the tract and taken to a section infirmary with facial fractures and lacerations. When the crippled resumed, the Guardians had a origin to play for.

"What happened adjacent was due to the fact that of the Fry deed by the ball," 2nd baseman Brayan Rocchio said. "We took a atrocious infinitesimal and turned it. That crippled was for him."

'What happened next' was Skubal threw a chaotic transportation to Fry's replacement, George Valera. That plated a run. Then moments later, helium balked

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