Brayan Rocchio turned Friday afternoon into his own personal rescue mission.
The Cleveland shortstop, coming in after a rough stretch, delivered the kind of performance that can flip a game, a day, maybe even a mood. He homered twice in Game 1 of the doubleheader against the Detroit Tigers at Progressive Field, and the second one ended it: a walk-off shot in the ninth that gave the Guardians a wild 7-6 win.
It was a late start because of inclement weather, but the opener turned into the kind of game that makes the wait feel worthwhile. Cleveland and Detroit still had Game 2 ahead of them, though the first one set a high bar.
Rocchio’s final line said plenty all by itself: 2-for-4, two runs scored, five RBI. His first homer was a game-tying grand slam in the fourth inning, and the second came from the right side of the plate against a lefty. That made it one of the best outings of his season.
The Guardians had to climb out of a hole immediately. Detroit jumped on Logan Allen for four runs in the first inning, with Ben Malgeri delivering a two-run single that scored Gleyber Torres and Kevin McGonigle, then Max Clark adding a line-drive single to right that brought in Riley Greene and Malgeri.
Cleveland got one back in the bottom of the first when Jo Adell lifted a sacrifice fly to score Chase DeLauter, who had opened the inning with a one-out double.
Detroit kept pressing. Hao-Yu Lee grounded into a double play in the second, but it still allowed Gleyber Torres to score. Then Spencer Torkelson added a solo homer in the third off Slade Cecconi, pushing the Tigers to a 6-1 lead.
At that point, the game looked like it belonged to Detroit. Instead, Cleveland’s bats started to crack it open.
Travis Bazzana singled in Nathaniel Lowe in the bottom of the fourth to trim the deficit to 6-2. Then came Rocchio’s first hammer: with the bases loaded and the rookie second baseman, Patrick Bailey, and Angel Genao aboard, he crushed a ball to right field for a grand slam. The ball came off his bat at 97 mph, and just like that, the Guardians had erased the deficit and tied it at 6-6.
The bullpen did the rest. Allen lasted only 2.1 innings and gave up five runs, but Cecconi, who had been activated earlier on Friday, settled things down with 2.1 solid innings and allowed one run. Craig Yoho, Erik Sabrowski, and Cade Smith then combined to keep Detroit off the board over the final four innings.
That left the door open for Rocchio in the ninth, and he walked right through it.
The win moved Cleveland to 71-70. The Guardians still hold the third and final American League Wild Card spot, and they’re also chasing the division from the Chicago White Sox.
Game 2 was scheduled for 7:45 pm ET, with Foster Griffin set to start for Cleveland as the Guardians tried to finish off the doubleheader sweep.
In Other News...
Former Guardians Outfielder Suddenly Back In The Middle Of Seattle's Push
Stuart Fairchild is back on a major league roster again, and this time the opportunity comes with a little more urgency for Seattle. After putting up strong numbers at Triple-A Tacoma, Fairchild was brought back by the Mariners to fill a roster spot opened when Victor Robles was placed on the family medical emergency list, giving the club another outfield option at a time when every healthy bat matters.
For Fairchild, the move adds another stop to a season that has already taken him through brief stints with both the Mariners and the Cleveland Guardians before he returned on a minor league deal with Seattle. His path has been anything but settled, but the Mariners clearly liked what they saw in Tacoma enough to pull him back into the middle of their push, even if the longer-term answer in the outfield remains to be determined. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Suddenly Have Another Chase DeLauter Health Concern
Chase DeLauters latest interruption came in the middle of a game, when the Guardians outfielder left after injuring his right wrist in his second at-bat. Stephen Vogt said DeLauter is expected to be day-to-day and is already getting treatment for soreness and stiffness, another reminder that Cleveland has had to keep recalibrating around one of its most intriguing young players.
The wrist issue arrives just after DeLauter sat out a series against the Los Angeles Angels because of hamstring tightness, extending a stretch in which availability has been the bigger question than production. For a player trying to build momentum, the timing is frustrating, and for the Guardians it adds another layer of uncertainty to a roster that could use some stability from him. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Keep Ignoring A First Base Answer Fans Want To See
Ralphy Velazquez has done enough in Triple-A to keep his name in the conversation, especially with the Guardians still looking for more offense at first base. The prospects production has made him an obvious candidate for a look in Cleveland, and general manager Mike Chernoff even acknowledged that Velazquez has earned a promotion based on performance.
For now, though, the path is blocked by roster fit rather than merit. Chernoff said there is not a role for Velazquez on the major league club at the moment, and he also pushed back on the idea that any looming labor concerns are driving the decision. So the question around first base remains the same one fans have been asking: if Velazquez keeps forcing the issue, when does Cleveland finally make room? [Read more 🡒]