CLEVELAND, Ohio — Stephen Vogt channeled his inner Kenny Rogers when describing the series of moves that led the Guardians to a 5-4 win Thursday in Detroit and forced Saturday’s Game 5 in the American League Division Series against the Tigers.
Vogt, who pulled the trigger on pinch hitters early in a Game 3 loss, was criticized for appearing to “overreach” in trying to take advantage of matchups. It looked like Tigers manager A.J. Hinch was a step ahead of Cleveland’s rookie skipper at every turn.
But all of that changed when David Fry broke through with a two-run pinch-hit homer off Beau Brieske in the seventh inning of Game 4, and later when Fry executed a perfect sacrifice squeeze bunt for a run in the ninth.
On Friday, Vogt echoed Rogers’ “The Gambler” in talking about how Cleveland deploys its in-game strategies.
“We’ve had times where we’ve held, we’ve had times where we go,” Vogt said. “It’s just that feel of the game and understanding what the matchups are going to be. We felt like it was the right time to go, and David Fry is a great baseball player and came through.”
Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt watches from the dugout in the first inning during Game 4 of a baseball American League Division Series against the Detroit Tigers, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)AP
Vogt pushed all the right buttons, saying it was easier to hold back some of his plays because the Guardians were working with a lead.
“We’ve had a very similar cadence to how we use our chips or our pinch-hits or our bullpen all year, and we stuck to it last night,” Vogt told reporters Friday. “We didn’t go all-in early. When you’re not down, you’re afforded that chance to hold or to take a shot or to do things like that.”
Catcher Austin Hedges said wins and losses answer all the questions from outside the clubhouse.
“If we lost that game, you’re going to say he made terrible decisions, if we won the game, you’re going to say he made brilliant decisions,” Hedges said. “That’s all it seems to come down to. If we win, you’re smart. If we lose, you’re dumb. That’s kind of how sports work.”
Regardless, Vogt said he had a blast managing in Game 4. It was the kind of game you work hard during the season to put yourself in a position to play in, he said.
“Leading up to it and the decisions you have to make, yeah, they’re a little more crucial, but it felt like just another game for us,” Vogt said. “That’s the way our players have attacked every game. It’s helped me stay calm and under control.”
