The Guardians don’t need anyone in Cleveland to explain the math right now. They’ve spent September playing like every night is a playoff game, and the 12-7 run has put them in control of the American League Central with a week left. But the path to finishing the job is lined with quality arms, starting tonight.
Cleveland opens a crucial three-game set against the Red Sox with budding ace Peyton Tolle on the mound, then closes the series against Sonny Gray and Ranger Suarez. That alone gave White Sox fans plenty to point at when they started looking ahead to the final week.
Over their final 6 games, the Guardians will have to deal with Payton Tolle, Sonny Gray, Ranger Suarez, and likely Michael Wacha, Noah Cameron, and Daniel Lynch.
Meanwhile, the White Sox get Lynch, the Royals two other worst starters, and the Rockies pitching staff for their…
But the full picture is a little more complicated than that quick glance suggests.
For one thing, the Red Sox are already locked into the American League’s No. 5 seed, so there’s at least some reason to think they won’t push every button in this series. Weather could also play a role, with the weekend forecast threatening to complicate the schedule. Boston may wind up needing to play a game on next Monday’s off-day, and that kind of uncertainty can change how a pitching staff gets lined up.
There’s also the matter of who the Red Sox are actually sending out first. Parker Messick gets the ball tonight, Foster Griffin is slated for tomorrow, and Thursday is listed as a TBD. Both Messick and Griffin should give the Guardians a real shot to handle business in those starts.
Then comes the Royals series, and even that doesn’t line up quite the way White Sox fans might have hoped. Kansas City opens the week against Chicago, with projected starters Daniel Lynch on Tuesday, Seth Lugo on Wednesday and Randy Dobnak on Thursday.
And the White Sox themselves aren’t exactly setting up a gauntlet. They’re going with Anthony Kay later today and Erick Fedde on Wednesday, especially after shifting Luis Castillo to the bullpen.
In Other News...
Guardians Moved Within Reach Of October After A Win That Got Tense
The Guardians gave themselves another October boost with a fast start and enough steady work from the mound to hold off a late push. Angel Martnez, David Fry and Nathaniel Lowe all helped build the early cushion, and Parker Messick did his part in a five-inning start before the bullpen took over to finish the job.
Tim Herrin, Craig Yoho, Erik Sabrowski, Hunter Gaddis and Cade Smith each had a hand in protecting the lead, keeping Cleveland in control even as the game tightened down the stretch. The win leaves the Guardians with a magic number of two to clinch a playoff spot, and depending on how the other results break, it could shrink to one before long. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Are Suddenly One Step Closer To A Clinch After Another Thriller
The Guardians kept finding ways to survive on September 22, outlasting the Red Sox 3-2 in another tight, late-September game that fit the tone of a team trying to finish the job. Nathaniel Lowe provided the decisive blow with a sacrifice fly in the ninth inning, while Parker Messick did enough in his start to keep Cleveland in position before the bullpen took over.
Cade Smith finished it off and reached 40 saves on the year, a notable marker for a club that has leaned on its late-inning arm all season. The bigger picture is even better for Cleveland: its magic number to clinch a playoff spot is down to two, and the Guardians still sit atop the AL Central as the calendar turns toward the final stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Vogts Late-Game Guardians Move Is Becoming A Real October Weapon
Travis Bazzanas rookie season has come with the usual growing pains, and for Stephen Vogt, that has meant getting creative when games tighten up late. The Guardians manager has turned to Angel Genao as a defensive replacement in key spots, using his versatility around the infield to help shore up a young roster when the margin for error shrinks. It is the sort of September adjustment contenders make when every clean inning and every sure-handed exchange starts to matter more.
Against the Red Sox, that move paid off in a big way, as Genao made a crucial defensive play that helped close out the win and trim Clevelands magic number to clinch a postseason berth. The contrast between the two young infielders has become part of the clubs late-game equation, with Genao offering the steadier glove right now while Bazzana continues to work through the challenges of his first full season. For a team trying to lock down October, those small swaps can carry outsized weight. [Read more 🡒]