CLEVELAND (Interstat) — In a stunning and decisive turn of events, the Cleveland Guardians erupted for five runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to break a tense deadlock, defeating the Detroit Tigers 6-1 on Wednesday evening at Progressive Field to even their American League playoff series.

The game, a tightly contested pitchers’ duel for seven innings, transformed into a blowout as the Guardians sent 10 batters to the plate in the eighth, capitalizing on a series of clutch hits to seize control of Game 2 before a crowd of 26,669.

The series, now tied at one game apiece, shifts to a pivotal Game 3 on Thursday in Cleveland.

For most of the evening, the outcome was far from certain. The Guardians struck first in the opening frame when George Valera launched a solo home run to center field off Tigers starter Casey Mize, providing an immediate answer after the Tigers had put a runner in scoring position in the top of the inning.

Detroit, which had taken Game 1 by a 2-1 score, leveled the game in the fourth. Riley Greene sparked the rally with a sharp double to right field and later scored on a single by Javier Báez. The play, however, was not without controversy. Báez’s single to center scored Greene, but Zach McKinstry, who had also walked, was thrown out at third base on a relay from center fielder Chase DeLauter to José Ramírez. The Tigers initially were credited with the run and runners on the corners, but a successful Guardians challenge overturned the call, ending the inning and keeping the game tied.

From there, the contest settled into a tense stalemate. Both teams squandered opportunities, with the Tigers leaving the bases loaded in the seventh inning. Detroit’s bullpen, led by effective outings from Tyler Holton and Kyle Finnegan, had kept the Guardians’ bats quiet after Mize’s three-inning, one-run start.

The stalemate was shattered in the fateful eighth against Detroit reliever Troy Melton, who was charged with the loss. Brayan Rocchio led off the inning by crushing a solo home run to right field, breaking the 1-1 tie. Steven Kwan followed with a double, and Daniel Schneemann drove him in with another double, pushing the lead to 3-1.

After an intentional walk to Ramírez and a groundout that advanced both runners, Bo Naylor delivered the crushing blow. With two outs, Naylor launched a three-run homer to right field, clearing the bases and sending the home crowd into a frenzy as the Guardians’ lead ballooned to 6-1.

The Tigers, who out-hit the Guardians 7-6, could not muster a response in the ninth. They loaded the bases with two outs on a walk and a hit-by-pitch, coupled with a fielding error, but Dillon Dingler lined out to first base to end the game.

Cleveland reliever Cade Smith earned the win. Tigers starter Casey Mize allowed one run on one hit over three innings of work, while Kerry Carpenter and Javier Báez each had two of Detroit’s seven hits.

With the victory, Cleveland improved its season record to 89-75, while Detroit fell to 88-76. The Guardians will look to carry the momentum from their explosive eighth inning into Thursday’s critical Game 3 as the series remains in Cleveland.