DETROIT -- David Fry turned to his dugout and saw his teammates leaping over the railings, throwing their equipment in the air and jumping up and down in sheer joy. Cleveland had been down to its last seven outs before its season would have come to an end. But instead, Fry gave his team a spark that’s been missing since Saturday.

Fry came off the bench, pinch-hitting for Kyle Manzardo, with two outs in the seventh, a runner on second and his team down by one. The sixth pitch he saw from Tigers reliever Beau Brieske became the highlight of his young career, as he launched a two-run homer that gave the Guardians a lead they would not relinquish in a 5-4 victory over Detroit in Game 4 of the American League Division Series on Thursday at Comerica Park, and he added a decisive insurance run with a safety squeeze in the ninth to keep his team’s season alive.

This was the first time the Guardians won a potential elimination game since Game 6 of the 1997 World Series, snapping a postseason record of 11 consecutive losses when facing elimination. It was also the first go-ahead pinch-hit homer in Cleveland postseason history. And now, the Guardians have a chance to move on to face the Yankees in the AL Championship Series with a victory in Game 5 of the ALDS on Saturday at Progressive Field.

One swing encapsulated everything about the 2024 season.

Never have the Guardians relied on just one bat. Never have they been afraid to play the matchup game, using their bench to pinch-hit in favorable scenarios. And on the heels of a night when manager Stephen Vogt’s aggressive style left him handcuffed in the later innings, he got the perfect at-bat out of Fry at the perfect time after sticking with a wobbly Tanner Bibee through four-plus innings to make sure he had his four best relievers at the end of the game.

Rarely did the Guardians allow themselves to fall into a funk of three or more consecutive losses this season. Rarely were they rattled by the outside narrative. And rarely were they counted out of a game, considering they led the AL with 42 comeback victories in the regular season.

With one swing, Fry proved exactly why their style of play has gotten them this far and will keep them in contention, as long as they stick to the script. If that wasn’t enough, he reminded everyone that when the long ball isn’t an option, Guards Ball will suffice. In the top of the ninth, Fry laid down the safety squeeze that proved crucial after the Tigers scored one run in the bottom half of the frame.