Brayan Rocchio’s name keeps finding its way into the biggest Cleveland moments, and Tuesday night added another entry to the list.
With the Guardians trailing the White Sox by a run, Rocchio stepped in with runners on second and third and two outs. He fell behind 0-2, then turned on a high sinker from Grant Taylor that was clocked at 100.9 mph.
What looked like a routine fly ball turned into a game-ender when left fielder Sam Antonacci couldn’t get properly positioned and didn’t take the best route. The ball dropped, Cleveland walked it off 7-6, and Rocchio had his fourth walk-off hit of the year.
The contact itself didn’t scream trouble for Chicago. Rocchio’s ball came off the bat at 88.8 mph, well below the 95 mph hard-hit mark, and the launch angle sat at 30 degrees.
Even so, Statcast said the play was almost impossible from a hitting standpoint. Rocchio’s expected batting average on the ball was .060.
That’s the number Cleveland made sure to put on display.
lol
- Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) September 16, 2026
Statcast’s xBA measures how likely a ball in play is to become a hit, using exit velocity, launch angle and runner speed, then comparing it with historical results from previous MLB seasons.
Taylor did not really give Rocchio a soft target. The pitch was elevated and, in theory, in a tough spot to handle. Rocchio still came through with the swing that sent the Guardians home happy.
Antonacci also owned up to the misplay on the route afterward.
Sam Antonacci, on his route to Brayan Rocchio's fly ball in the 9th: "Pretty dogsh- to be honest."
- Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) September 16, 2026
The win pulled Cleveland to within half a game of the White Sox in the AL Central. The teams meet again Wednesday in the series finale, and the winner will open Thursday in first place.
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