The Guardians didn’t exactly cruise through this one, but they did what they’ve done more than once this season: looked messy early, then found just enough to finish the job and salvage the series finale against the Rangers.
The pitching line starts with a lot of stress and ends with something respectable. Cantillo was all over the place, but he still worked five innings and held Texas to two runs.
The biggest issue was command - five walks will do that - and the third inning nearly turned ugly fast. Walk, walk, single, strikeout, RBI walk.
With the bases loaded and one out, Cleveland looked like it was staring down another blown lead. Cantillo escaped by getting Rangers rookie Cauley to ground into a double play and end the threat.
His second earned run came in the sixth after he walked the leadoff hitter and exited for Holderman. That inning got messy in a different way.
Holderman allowed a single, then two groundouts, with the second one bringing in a run. He wasn’t as wild as Cantillo, but he had his own problems, mostly tied to weak contact and a little bad luck.
Three hits came off him, and two of them were under 80 mph off the bat. The sequence went single, forceout, RBI groundout, double, single, strikeout.
Daniel Schneemann helped limit the damage with a terrific play at second that robbed Texas of even more.
The bullpen settled things down after that, at least for a stretch. Herrin handled the seventh and gave up a single and a walk before striking out Pederson and getting Smith to roll into a double play.
Sabrowski worked the eighth, punched out two Rangers, and also surrendered a solo homer to Elias Diaz. Festa then closed it out with a clean ninth, setting Texas down in order.
Cleveland’s offense did its part early, and that mattered. The Guardians broke through in the second inning when Rocchio and Arias started things with back-to-back singles.
Watson struck out, but Hedges dropped down a textbook bunt that drove in Rocchio. Schneemann then drew a four-pitch walk, and Fry followed with this.
5 runs by the end of the 2nd inning is an almost Herculean task for this Guardians offense, and it’s nice to know that this, in one form or another, is actually possible with this iteration of the lineup.
Texas trimmed the margin to two in the sixth with help from the bullpen, but Cleveland answered right back in the seventh. Kwan hit a triple (?), and DeLauter - picking up his third hit of the day - smoked a ball to right field at 110 mph to bring Kwan home.
DeLauter then stole second, and Rangers reliever Winston Santos helped him score the old-fashioned ugly way, firing a couple wild pitches into the dirt. In three pitches, DeLauter went from second to home.
Hoskins drew a walk after that, but the inning ended with three straight outs.
And then there was Austin Hedges. Much to Josh Naylor’s chagrin, Hedges launched a home run, a sentence that probably would not have been on many bingo cards before first pitch.
For those keeping track at home, Hedges now has a wRC+ above Naylor’s, and an fWAR total most likely tied with Naylor’s after today’s events. Not bad for a backup to a backup.
In Other News...
Guardians Rookie Faces More Heat As Rough Lesson Continues
Cooper Ingles growing pains in left field continued against the White Sox, where the Guardians rookie was charged with his second error in two games after dropping a fly ball. The miscue stood out because Ingle is still a catcher by trade and is only beginning to learn the demands of a new position after a recent promotion.
Stephen Vogt has already tried to frame the situation as part of the learning curve, urging Ingle to move past the first mistake and keep playing. For Cleveland, the larger question is how quickly a player with so little outfield experience can settle in while the club keeps asking him to handle a spot that is still very new to him. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Suddenly Have A Breakout Star On The Verge Of Recognition
Parker Messick has gone from an afterthought in spring training to one of the most interesting pitchers in Clevelands season, giving the Guardians a legitimate breakout arm at a time when they needed one. The left-hander has paired steady results with strong underlying metrics, and his 2.85 ERA has put him among the American Leagues better starters while earning attention well beyond the clubhouse.
With All-Star rosters still not finalized, Messick is suddenly in the conversation as a possible first-time selection, which would be a remarkable turn for a pitcher who was not expected to be in the rotation out of camp. He has already turned heads inside the game, and the next step is whether that recognition turns into a trip to the midsummer showcase, something he has made clear would carry real meaning for him. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Seized Control Of The Central In Unbelievable Fashion
Chicago had spent much of the night looking like the sharper team, jumping on Cleveland early and putting the Guardians in a familiar chase mode at Progressive Field. But the home team kept hanging around, and the game turned into the kind of late-inning grind that can change the feel of a season, especially when first place in the AL Central is sitting there for the taking.
Brayan Rocchio delivered the swing that made it happen, a two-run shot in the ninth that sent Cleveland home with a 6-5 win and its second walk-off victory of his career. The result pushed the Guardians into sole possession of first in the division on a percentage basis, another reminder of how quickly a race can flip when a club keeps finding ways to finish. [Read more 🡒]