Oscar Gonzalez ended the longest scoreless game in postseason history with a walkoff solo home run in the bottom of the 15th inning as the Cleveland Guardians defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 1-0 in Game 2 of their American League Wild Card series at Progressive Field.
Facing former Cleveland righthander Corey Kluber, the rookie outfielder took a 1-0 cutter over the left field wall to send the Guardians to the American League Division Series against the New York Yankees.
"There's no way to describe it", Gonzalez said after his heroics. "It's such an exciting moment that it's hard for me put into words."
He's one of 17 players to make his debut for the American League Central champions this season with manager Terry Francona saying "at that point I don't think we cared.
"It could have been one of the old guys. We didn't care. We're not biased. I was happy that he hit it."
Gonzalez ends near five-hour marathon as Guardians advance
Tampa Bay's offense struggled in the two-game series, hitting just .115 as a team, collecting nine hits in 78 at-bats with just one extra-base hit.
"I saw guys trying to do too much", said manager Kevin Cash. "We were looking for the three-run homer with nobody on base. When you take that mindset against good pitchers, they can kind of sit you down."
At four hours, 57 minutes, the game surpassed the 2020 NL Wild Card series opener between Atlanta and Cincinnati, which went 13 innings. The teams combined for a playoff-record 39 strikeouts.
Kluber, the last of eight Tampa Bay pitchers, made his first relief appearance in nine years. Cleveland managed just six hits, but got stellar defense from Jose Ramirez.
The third baseman fielded Manuel Margot's grounder, backhanding it before making a quick throw in foul territory across the diamond with a man on third to keep the game scoreless.
"He kind of willed himself there to make that play", Francona said. "I don't know if it's a game-saving, it might be a year-saving play. They score on that play and the way things were going we weren't throwing crooked numbers up."
Both starters were outstanding as the Rays' Tyler Glasnow allowed just two hits in five innings while Guardians righty Triston McKenzie also permitted just two hits over six innings while fanning eight.
Sam Hentges was brilliant in relief for Cleveland, striking out six over the final three innings and picking up the win.
"Nobody said it would be easy", Francona said. "But just keep playing. And they did a really good job of that. They continue to do that."