Old friend of the Cubs, Zach McKinstry, did his best to play hero for the Tigers

Zach McKinstry's only real value to Chicago Cubs fans is as an answer on Immaculate Grid. Because his brief time on the North Side was anything but fruitful - a total of 47 games in the second half of the 2022 season in which the North Siders went 74-88 and were out of contention well before the season's final weeks.

For his part, McKinstry was - and still is - a guy who gives you some defensive versatility and speed. But don't count on much from him at the plate. With a career 77 OPS+, that's a pretty well-established piece of knowledge. Which made his postseason heroics on Thursday night even more surprising.

An opposite-field, game-tying home run? From McKinstry? Yeah, didn't have that one on my 2024 MLB postseason bingo card. In the end, though, the Cleveland Guardians pulled off the win to keep their season alive and force a winner-take-all Game 5 on Saturday night at Progressive Field.

He played every position outside of catcher, center field and first base this year for the Tigers, who picked him up in March 2023 in a trade with the Cubs. He's off to quite the start in his first taste of postseason action, batting .429 with an insane OPS of 1.698 in nine trips to the plate this fall.

Detroit is seeking its first World Series title since 1984 while Cleveland's championship drought dates back to 1948 - a fact Cubs fans are well aware of after Chicago defeated them in the unforgettable 2016 Fall Classic.