Playoff Guards Ball! Martínez scores from 2nd on grounder to pitcher

CLEVELAND -- It didn’t take long for Guards Ball to reintroduce itself to the postseason stage during Game 1 of the American League Wild Card Series.

The Guardians thrive offensively by putting the ball in play and forcing the issue on the base paths, and they followed that playbook to a T in the fourth inning of Tuesday's 2-1 loss to the Tigers at Progressive Field. Angel Martínez scored from second base on a Gabriel Arias chopper hit back to Detroit starter Tarik Skubal.

Skubal held Cleveland’s offense in check through three innings, allowing just one single and one walk. But Martínez led off the fourth with an infield cue-shot single (which had a 48.6 mph exit velocity) that squirted by Skubal.

Martínez reached second on a José Ramírez walk, but the Guardians were in danger of coming up empty in the inning after Johnathan Rodríguez and Kyle Manzardo both struck out. After Arias hit a chopper off the plate, Skubal retreated backward off the mound and corralled over it his shoulder with his back to home plate.

Skubal briefly stumbled, but Guardians third-base coach Rouglas Odor had already waved Martínez through third to try to score. The Cleveland crowd swelled with anticipation as Martínez chugged toward home plate, sliding in under the tag by catcher Dillon Dingler.

After initially being called out, Martínez was ruled safe after replay review. He had a 29.5 feet-per-second sprint speed to the plate, well above his regular-season average (27.7 feet-per-second).

The moment evoked memories of the last time the Guardians squared off with Skubal. They rode their chaotic baserunning in a three-run sixth inning to a 5-2 win over Detroit last Tuesday.