Breaking down the 2024 ALDS

Baseball fans country-wide were treated to two stellar ALDS matchups that wrapped up this weekend. The matchups featured best-of-five series showcasing the Yankees vs. Royals and the Guardians vs. Tigers.

Yankees vs. Royals

The No. 5 seeded Kansas City Royals headed to Yankee Stadium to play the first two games of the series against the No. 1 seeded New York Yankees. To get to this point, the Royals swept the favored Orioles in Baltimore during a wild-card series. The Yankees earned an automatic bye to the ALDS by having the best record among AL teams during the regular season.

Game 1 was an absolute thriller. It set the record for most lead changes in a single game in postseason history with five.

The game-winning run came after a controversial safe-call on a stolen base by Yankees third baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. Two batters later, Alex Verdugo singled to left field, allowing Chisholm Jr. to score and take the lead 6-5. The Yankees held on to take the 1-0 series lead.

In Game 2, the Royals shook off their Game 1 loss and relied on their bullpen, who held the Yankees to one run in five innings. The Royals would emerge victorious in Game 2, and feel good about heading back home after tying up the series.

Game 3 was a tight one throughout, with the Yankees striking first in the fourth inning. The Royals tied it in the fifth, but the Yankees plated one in the eighth and never looked back.

The Royals had their backs against the wall in a win-or-go-home Game 4. The Yankees leaned on their ace, Gerrit Cole, who tossed seven innings of one-run ball.

The Yankees move on to the ALCS and will play for the right to represent the American League in the 2024 Fall Classic.

Guardians vs. Tigers

The No. 2 seeded Cleveland Guardians waited at home and scouted their eventual opponent, the No. 6 seeded Detroit Tigers in their 2024 AL Wild Card Series games. The Tigers stunned the Astros in Houston during a two-game sweep of the home team.

Game 1 of this ALDS was a very lopsided affair. The Tigers’ starting pitcher, Tyler Holton, struggled mightily.

The 28-year-old right-hander gave up four runs without being able to record an out. The Guardians went on to score three more runs and hold the Tigers scoreless in a dominant Game 1 victory.

In contrast to Game 1, Game 2 of this series was a pitchers’ duel between Guardians pitcher Mathew Boyd and Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal. It was a scoreless game for the whole game.

In the ninth, dominant closer, Emmanuel Clase, came in for the Guardians. He got two quick outs, then gave up back-to-back singles. Kerry Carpenter came up to bat, and he mashed a go-ahead three-run bomb, which allowed the Tigers to win 3-0, and tie the series at one game apiece.

The two teams traveled to Comerica Park in Detroit for Game 3. The Tigers continued their dominant pitching, holding Cleveland scoreless, and winning the game 3-0 with only one more win to advance to the ALCS.

Game 4 saw a thrilling back-and-forth game between these two teams. Detroit just couldn’t finish the job as they dropped Game 4, 5-4, and headed back to Cleveland for Game 5.

In a winner-take-all Game 5, Tarik Skubal got the nod to be the starting pitcher. He threw four scoreless innings, but in the fifth, he gave up a grand slam to Guardians outfielder Lane Thomas. Thomas’s big fly propelled Cleveland to a Game 5 win.

The Guardians have a date with the Yankees in the ALCS next week in a best-of-seven series. Both series were very entertaining, but which team will represent the AL in the 2024 World Series?

Chase Yingling is a third-year majoring in digital/print journalism. To contact him, email cey5100@psu.edu.