Dillon Dingler grew up a Cleveland Guardians fan from an hour outside the city in Massillon, Ohio.

But it certainly didn’t take away from the joy of putting his Detroit Tigers ahead of the Guardians in Thursday’s AL Wild Card elimination game in Cleveland on a solo home run in the sixth inning.

Dingler began the series 0-for-9, but he took the chance to give the Tigers a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. It spurred on a four-run seventh inning to put Detroit ahead for good, made for a full-circle moment to advance to the ALDS.

“It was awesome,” Dingler told the ABC broadcast after the game. “I’d been scratching and clawing a little bit this series and, you know, able to put my team ahead in that moment was very special.”

Beyond that, the Tigers struggled with the Guardians in the weeks ah

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