For six straight days, manager Stephen Vogt and his players were repeatedly asked versions of the same question: “Are you worried about losing your rhythm with such a long layoff before the start of the ALDS?” The Guardians didn’t even know until late on the afternoon of Oct. 2 that they’d be playing the Tigers. The Guardians last played on Sept. 28. They avoided the wild-card pitfall because they earned a bye by finishing with the second-best record (92-69) behind the Yankees in the American League. PHOTOS: Guardians vs. Tigers, Oct. 5, 2024 Progressive Field was packed with 33,548 fans on Oct. 5 for Game 1 of the best-of-five series — so packed that temporary seats were installed in various aisles of the lower deck. Tanner Bibee got around a single and a hit batsman in the top of the first without allowing a run, and then in the bottom of the first, the Guardians answered the question about rust with their bats. Leadoff hitter Steven Kwan said he wanted to hit the reset button for the playoffs after scuffling at the plate in August and September. He can check off that box. Kwan took a first-pitch ball and then lashed a line drive to right for a double. He later walked twice. David Fry walked, Jose Ramirez reached second on a fielding error by Detroit third baseman Zach McKinstry, allowing Kwan to score, and then Josh Naylor singled to right to drive in Fry. Detroit manager A.J. Hinch lifted Tyler Holton, normally a relief pitcher used as an opener for Game 1, and then Lane Thomas sent the first pitch he saw from Reese Olson into the left-field bleachers for a three-run homer. Not only was it the first pitch Thomas saw in the game; it came on the first postseason at bat in the career of the six-year veteran, who previously played for the Cardinals and Nationals before being acquired by the Guardians from Washington on July 29. "It (the crowd's reaction to his home run) was electric," Thomas said. "I think it was everything I had thought and more. It was really cool, you know, to watch the first four guys take unbelievable at-bats and then kind of come through for them there. It was cool." Cleveland 5, Detroit 0, and still no outs for the Guardians. Fry drove in two runs in the bottom of the sixth. Taking the first game in a five-game series is always important — obviously — but it was especially important to jump ahead of the Tigers because Detroit is sending its ace, Tarik Skubal, to the mound in Game 2 on Oct. 7 at Progressive Field. This is the first time the Tigers have been in the postseason since 2014. The Guardians were in the playoffs just two years ago, but for many of them, this is also their first postseason experience. Bibee, for example. Vogt could have used the more experienced Matthew Boyd (the Guardians' Game 2 starter) or Alex Cobb in Game 1. Instead, he went with Bibee, and Bibee did not disappoint. "The past three days felt like there was a lead block in my stomach," Bibee said. "But I think once I kind of got through that first inning, I felt like it was a nice weight off the shoulders." Bibee did not pitch long enough to get the win, but he pitched 4 2/3 innings without allowing a run before Vogt called on rookie Cade Smith to get the last out of the fifth with a Tiger on first. Bibee pounded his right fist into his glove twice in triumph as he walked across the third base line to cheers from fans. The cheering grew louder as he approached the dugout, and as they did, he looked up and raised his arms thee times to encourage them to cheer louder for his team. The Guardians played with poise. They fielded the ball cleanly and the bullpen performed with the same precision it did throughout the regular season, though in this case the Cleveland batters gave the relievers more breathing room than they customarily get. Smith, Tim Herrin, Hunter Gaddis and Emmanuel Clase preserved the 7-0 shutout without allowing a hit. One game down, 10 more to win to end a 76-year drought without a World Series championship.