The Guardians cleared the 2 million mark at home for the third straight season Sunday, and they did it the hard way.
A crowd of 21,110 lifted Cleveland’s total attendance to 2,001,415 in the final home game of the regular season, making this the first three-year run over 2 million since 2000-2002. The milestone came in a 1-0 win over the A’s that finished off a three-game sweep.
The game itself was anything but smooth. First pitch was pushed back 2 hours and 5 minutes because of the threat of bad weather, but once the teams finally got going, the Guardians closed the home slate with a victory and a 41-40 record at Progressive Field.
That finish mattered because Cleveland needed to win its last five home games to end with a winning mark on the corner of Carnegie and Ontario. The club pulled it off, extending a run of home success that now includes winning records in five straight seasons and 10 of the last 11.
“It’s cool to finish at home with a winning record,” said manager Stephen Vogt. “We had to do it by winning five in a row right at the end.
“We love playing at home. We love the fans and we’d like to thank them for an unbelievable season and bringing a ton of people to the park. We feel their presence and energy.”
And the season at Progressive Field may not be done yet. The Guardians have six regular season games left and hold a 1 1/2-game lead over second-place Chicago in the AL Central, with Chicago playing Detroit on Sunday night in a rain-delayed game.
In Other News...
Brayan Rocchio's Early Exit Just Raised A Big Guardians Concern
Brayan Rocchios night ended early against the Athletics after the Guardians pulled him for left leg tightness, treating it as a precaution. Stephen Vogt said the soreness had been there already and flared up during the game, which is never the kind of update a club wants to hear when a player has been giving it both at the plate and in the field for a stretch.
The Guardians planned to take a closer look the next day, and that is where the concern really starts to settle in. Rocchio has become the type of contributor Cleveland leans on for timely hits and steady defense, so even a short-term issue could carry some weight if it lingers. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Are Back In A Brutal Trade Debate Fans Hate
Every front office has a trade regret or two, but the latest round of roster remorse has been especially rough for clubs that like to pride themselves on identifying talent early. The Mets, Dodgers and Guardians all moved on from players who have since blossomed into major MVP-level threats, a reminder that even good process can look a whole lot worse in hindsight.
For Cleveland, the sting is familiar because the Guardians have spent years trying to maximize value through deals and development, only to watch a former piece turn into the kind of impact bat every contender wants. Junior Caminero has become a notable power threat in his new home, and his rise only adds fuel to the debate over how much patience clubs should show before cutting bait on young talent. The larger question hanging over all three teams is simple: when a trade looks fine in the moment, how much pain should a fan base be expected to absorb later? [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Youth Push Is Putting 3 Familiar Names On Notice
The Guardians are in the middle of a youth push, and it is starting to put some familiar names in an uncomfortable spot. David Fry, Foster Griffin and Kyle Manzardo are all part of the conversation now because each has given the club something different, but none has fully locked down a future place on the roster as Cleveland looks ahead and keeps turning over the depth chart.
Fry has battled offensive struggles and was recently demoted, Griffin has not matched his previous success after a rough run with the Guardians, and Manzardo is facing both a demotion and real competition from a prospect at his position. None of that means a decision is immediate, but it does leave all three vulnerable if the organization keeps leaning harder into younger options and decides these are the kinds of roster spots it can afford to reshape. [Read more 🡒]