By JOE REEDY AP Sports Writer
CLEVELAND (AP) - Brayan Rocchio and Bo Naylor homered during a five-run eighth inning and the Cleveland Guardians evened their AL Wild Card Series against the Detroit Tigers with a 6-1 victory in Game 2 on Wednesday. George Valera also went deep as the Guardians forced a deciding game in the best-of-three series.
Related: Fans enjoying Guardians' improbable run
The winner Thursday faces the Seattle Mariners in a Division Series. No team has lost Game 1 of a Wild Card Series and advanced since the expanded round began in 2022.
Javier Báez had two hits and an RBI for the Tigers, who were 1 for 15 with runners in scoring position and stranded 15 runners.
Detroit had the bases loaded with two outs in the ninth inning, but Cade Smith got Dillon Dingler to line out to first baseman C.J. Kayfus.
The game was tied 1-1 with one out in the eighth inning when Rocchio connected on a 99.9 mph fastball from losing pitcher Troy Melton and drove it 379 feet into the right-field stands for his second homer in three games. He had a three-run drive in the 10th inning on Sunday to give the Guardians a 9-8 victory over Texas Rangers in the regular-season finale.
The 24-year-old Venezuelan infielder has a .308 batting average (12 for 39) in 12 postseason games.
Daniel Schneemann added an RBI double before Naylor golfed a sweeper from Brant Hurter over the right-field wall for a five-run lead.
Jakob Junis got the win as the Guardians bullpen held Detroit scoreless over 5 1/3 innings. Cleveland took the lead in the first when Valera drove a 94.1 mph fastball on the upper half of the strike zone from starter Casey Mize over the wall in center field.
The homer came on a full count and the seventh pitch of the at-bat. Detroit tied it in the fourth and nearly took the lead. Báez had a base hit up the middle to drive in Riley Greene and Dingler after Zach McKinstry appeared to beat José Ramírez's tag at third on a great throw by Chase DeLauter, who was making his big league debut.
A video review overturned the safe call by umpire Stu Scheurwater and Dingler's run came off the board because he hadn't reached home before the out at third. Detroit had runners at the corners with no outs in the seventh after Gleyber Torres was hit by a pitch and advanced to third on Kerry Carpenter's hit.
Hunter Gaddis retired Spencer Torkelson on a shallow flyout, and Tim Herrin struck out Jahmai Jones and Wenceel Pérez.
Tigers RHP Jack Flaherty (8-15, 4.64 ERA) makes his eighth postseason start Thursday and Cleveland RHP Slade Cecconi (7-7, 4.30 ERA) gets his first playoff start.
