The Guardians finally put together a win on a night that started with a little bit of everything: bright weather, a good mood, and just enough offense to back up the pitching.
Cleveland did the damage early against Sandy Alcantara, scoring three runs in the first five innings. Both starters were locked in through three, but the game opened in the fourth when Rocchio singled to get things going.
Then Chase DeLauter turned in the loudest swing of the night, launching a 430-foot shot to right-center on a swing that looked every bit as big as it sounded. It was homer No. 10 for the year, and his wRC+ climbed to 124.
The Guardians added their final run in the fifth. Hedges singled, Kwan followed with a long single to put runners on the corners with one out, and Bazzana brought Hedges home with a sacrifice fly to make it 3-0. That finished the scoring for Cleveland.
On the mound, Messick gave the Guardians six innings of one-run ball. The command wasn’t spotless - he walked four and threw nearly as many balls as strikes - but the results were there.
Sabrowski, though, had another rough outing. He allowed a 407-foot homer to Leo Jimenez, then walked Esteury Ruiz, who finished with three walks and was showing bunt up 2-0 before taking all the way on 3-1. That was enough to end Sabrowski’s night, and it marked another disappointing appearance since he came off the injured list.
Holderman came in after that and steadied things. He gave up a single that slipped just past Bazzana to put runners on first and second with one out, but then he struck out Joe Mack in a nine-pitch battle and got Otto Lopez, who was batting .345 and carrying an .890 OPS going into the day, to ground out.
Gaddis handled the eighth and allowed a bloop single to Xavier Edwards, but he kept Miami off the board.
In Other News...
Guardians Suddenly Have A First Base Decision Fans Cant Ignore
Ralphy Velazquez keeps making the Guardians take notice, and the timing could hardly be better for a club still sorting out first base. The 21-year-old, drafted 23rd overall in 2023, has been productive across two minor league levels and is carrying an .876 OPS, a strong enough line to keep him in the conversation as the season moves toward its stretch run.
Velazquez has also reached base in 30 straight games for Columbus, a run that only adds to the pressure on the front office to decide whether the organization wants to lean into its own prospect or look outside for help. Cleveland has already been weighing first base as a spot that could use a boost, and the next few weeks may determine whether the answer comes from within the system or from a move at the deadline. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Trade Deadline Focus May Be Bigger Than Fans Expected
The Guardians have steadied themselves with consecutive wins and are still very much in the AL Central race, but the trade deadline picture around them is starting to look broader than a simple bench tweak. With the offense short-handed and the lineup not getting enough from the first-base spot, the front office is being linked to a right-handed bat there, along with help on the pitching side as the club tries to keep pace in a tight division.
What makes this more interesting is how many different lanes Cleveland could explore if it decides to be aggressive. The injuries that have thinned out the offense have pushed the Guardians toward a search that could touch both the lineup and the staff, and the deadline conversation now sounds less like a luxury-shopping list and more like a response to how fragile the roster has become. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Fans Just Got Another Reason To Revisit The Bailey Trade
The Patrick Bailey deal is still one of those trades that looks a little different every time Cleveland checks back on it. The Guardians sent pitching prospect Matt Wilkinson and their Competitive Balance Round A draft pick to San Francisco to bring in Bailey, a move that was always going to be judged on whether the catcher could give the staff steadier work behind the plate.
So far, Bailey has done the part Cleveland needed most, giving the pitching staff a more dependable defensive presence while Wilkinson has kept moving through Double-A and Triple-A with uneven results. The draft pick the Giants received also adds another layer to the deal, since it turned into a high school left-hander in the first round, giving both sides something tangible to point to as the trade continues to age. [Read more 🡒]