Out of the Detroit Tigers’ starting lineup due a left hamstring injury, Kerry Carpenter delivered a pinch-hit RBI single on Saturday in Game 5 of the American League Division Series against the host Cleveland Guardians.

Carpenter, hit for designated hitter Justyn-Henry Malloy in the fifth and singled to right field to score Trey Sweeney, who opened the inning with a walk off left-handed reliever Tim Herrin. With the bases loaded and two outs in the sixth and the Tigers trailing 5-2, Carpenter struck out against Hunter Gaddis.

Carpenter had injured his hamstring after he rounded third and scored a run in the sixth inning of Game 4 to give the Tigers a 3-2 lead on Thursday. The Tigers were unable to hold that slim one-run lead and dropped a 5-4 decision that evened the best-of-five series.

Rookie Malloy opened the game in the leadoff position in Game 5.

“Whenever your number’s called, let’s go,” said Malloy, who went 5-for-8 in the series after was hit by a pitch to begin Game 5 and later grounded out.

“I think that mentality allows for a lot of our guys to be able to just ride with whatever the situation, whether it’s a tough arm on the mound, a tough hitter in the box. It allows us to just flow.”

Detroit is trying to flow on Saturday by sending ace Tarik Skubal (1-0, 0.00 ERA) to the mound against fellow left-hander Matthew Boyd (0-0, 0.00).

Carpenter, 27, belted a three-run homer off Cleveland All-Star closer Emmanuel Clase in the ninth inning of a 3-0 win in Game 2 on Monday. Carpenter was 4-for-16 with three runs scored in the postseason.

Carpenter batted .284 with 18 homers and 57 RBIs in 87 games during his third season with the Tigers.

He is a career .276 hitter with 44 home runs and 131 RBIs through 236 games.

–Field Level Media