The Cleveland Guardians kept their push through the final game before the All-Star break rolling on Saturday, beating the Miami Marlins 4-1 at loanDepot Park for their third straight win. With one game left in the series on Sunday, Stephen Vogt’s club is trying to carry some momentum into the break.
Cleveland is now 50-46, and the win kept the Guardians even with the Chicago White Sox, who also won Saturday. The two teams remain tied atop the AL Central.
Tanner Bibee gave Cleveland exactly what it needed on the mound. He worked 6.2 innings and allowed one run, though that score came after he had already exited. Bibee gave up five hits, walked four and struck out three, lowering his ERA to 3.90.
Miami starter Eury Perez also turned in a quality start, but the Guardians made him work on the bases and came away with two earned runs against him. That was enough to put him on the losing end.
Cleveland struck first in the fourth. Gabriel Arias and Petey Halpin opened the inning with back-to-back singles, then each swiped a base, with Arias taking third and Halpin moving to second. After Patrick Bailey struck out swinging, Steven Kwan delivered the big swing, lining a two-out, two-run double to make it 2-0.
The Marlins finally broke through in the seventh. Joe Mack doubled with one out, then moved to third when Javier Sanoja grounded out. Shawn Armstrong entered for Bibee and gave up Liam Hicks’ RBI single, trimming Cleveland’s lead to 2-1 before ending the inning.
That one-run margin didn’t last long. In the eighth, Kyle Manzardo was hit by a pitch and Khalil Watson followed with a double that pushed Manzardo to third. Arias and Halpin both struck out, but Patrick Bailey came through with a two-run double to stretch the lead back out to 4-1.
Franco Aleman handled the eighth after allowing a hit, and Colin Holderman worked a clean ninth for a rare save. That let Hunter Gaddis and Cade Smith get a breather.
Arias finished 3-for-4 and stole two bases. Kwan and Halpin each added a steal, Brayan Rocchio had two hits out of the second spot, and Bailey doubled and drove in two runs.
Cleveland will send left-hander Joey Cantillo to the mound Sunday as it goes for the sweep.
In Other News...
Guardians Just Made The Outfield Pick Fans Have Been Waiting For
After opening the MLB Draft with pitchers Liam Peterson and Logan Schmidt, the Guardians finally turned to the outfield in the third round with Houstons Tre Broussard. Cleveland used the No. 95 pick on a player whose appeal is pretty easy to see: he brings speed, contact skills and the kind of profile that fits the organizations preference for athletic, versatile position players.
Broussards track record at Houston gives the pick some real intrigue, especially after he was successful on 56 of 64 stolen-base attempts over the past two years and hit .344 last season. The Guardians still have to get all of their draft picks signed, but if Broussard develops the way they hope, he could become part of the long-term outfield picture in a system that is always looking for the next reliable bat. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Pitching Depth Just Took Another Hit Fans Feared
The Guardians pitching pipeline has already been thinned by a run of recent moves, and Khal Stephens latest setback only adds to the pressure on a staff that has been asked to absorb plenty of turnover. Cleveland has seen depth pieces and rotation help move in and out through trades, leaving the organization with less margin for error than it would like as it tries to keep innings covered over the long haul.
Stephen is now expected to be sidelined for 10-12 months after a right ulnar collateral ligament repair, a development that removes another arm from the equation at a time when the club can least afford it. If the Guardians need to patch together a spot start or two, names such as Logan Allen, Austin Peterson and Yorman Gmez could come into play, but the bigger concern is how quickly the depth chart can absorb yet another blow. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Just Made Another Draft Bet Fans Know All Too Well
The Guardians went back to a familiar draft lane on Sunday, taking University of Houston outfielder Tre Broussard in the third round with the 95th overall pick. It is the kind of selection Cleveland has long been willing to make: a player whose game is built on speed, defense and enough offensive feel to make you think there could be more coming as he develops.
Broussard brings center-field ability, contact skills and a base-stealing element that fits the organizations usual appetite for athleticism up the middle. MLB Pipeline had him 91st on its draft board, which gives the pick a little more credibility than a pure flier, but the real appeal is the same one Cleveland keeps chasing in this part of the draft - a young college player with tools, movement and room to grow into something more. [Read more 🡒]