CLEVELAND -- It was like a scene from your favorite baseball movie.

A sold-out Progressive Field crowd roared as José Ramírez trotted to first base after getting hit in the elbow by a 99.9 mph heater from Tarik Skubal to tie the game in the fifth. The bases were loaded for Lane Thomas -- the Trade Deadline acquisition that the Guardians hoped could bring a little life to the offense. But no one could have foreseen this.

Thomas turned on the first pitch from Skubal and crushed it over the 19-foot wall in left field, marking the sixth postseason grand slam in Cleveland history -- the first since Francisco Lindor’s blast against the Yankees in the 2017 ALDS. And after an infield single in the seventh, Thomas made sure the Guardians’ season would live on with a 7-3 win over the Tigers in Game 5 of the American League Division Series on Saturday.

For the first time since 2016, Cleveland will be back in the American League Championship Series. The team will depart for New York on Saturday night to prepare for a showdown against the Yankees that will begin Monday at Yankee Stadium.

The Guardians’ dugout emptied onto the field following Thomas' heroics. Brayan Rocchio leaped into Jhonkensy Noel’s arms like they were reenacting their favorite romantic comedy movie scene. Rocchio jumped back to the ground and ran to Austin Hedges, who nearly knocked Rocchio over with an emphatic, double high five. Rocchio turned to the crowd and flung his arms over his head repeatedly, signaling for the crowd to yell even louder than the ear-piercing decibel they had been.

But this team wanted Thomas to feel the love as he rounded third base. His teammates were almost running alongside him in excitement as those who were on base greeted him with hugs and high fives at the plate. This was more than just the seventh grand slam in a winner-take-all postseason game in MLB history. This was the moment the Guardians knew they were going to be in the ALCS. And it was all thanks to the lone offensive player they added at the Trade Deadline, who was supposed to boost this offense.

When Thomas first joined the Guardians on July 30, he went 1-for-4 in a win over the Tigers in Detroit. But he was a little overwhelmed, trying to find his footing with his new club. After the game, he was still introducing himself to his new teammates. When Hedges gathered his team in the clubhouse postgame, he made a welcome speech to his new teammate and said, “This is what a winning ballclub is like.”

Just over two months later, Thomas, in a win-or-go-home scenario, gave his team a chance to win at least one more time -- a script even Hollywood couldn’t write.