Gavin Williams made sure Cleveland’s last regular-season home game had the kind of finish the Guardians wanted: clean, sharp, and sealed with a sweep.
Williams was dominant over seven scoreless innings Sunday at Progressive Field, giving up three hits and striking out nine in a 1-0 win over the Athletics. It was the third straight victory for Cleveland against Oakland, and it wrapped up the club’s home schedule for the weekend without a blemish. Williams set the tone immediately, punching out Henry Bolte, Shea Langeliers and Lawrence Butler in order to open the game, all on swinging strikes.
The Guardians didn’t need much help from the lineup, but a few bats still came through. Jo Adell kept his hot stretch rolling with hits in eight straight games, and his RBI total since joining Cleveland at the trade deadline climbed to 31. Steven Kwan also kept doing damage against Oakland, racking up three hits and raising his career average versus the Athletics to .376.
After Williams was done, Hunter Gaddis handed the ball to Cade Smith, who finished the job in relief. Smith needed only three pitches to strand two inherited runners in the eighth, then came back out for the ninth and earned his thirty ninth save of the season, second most in the American League.
The result kept Cleveland in first place in the AL Central no matter what happened later Sunday between the White Sox and Tigers in Chicago. The Guardians moved to 81-75 and briefly opened their division lead to a game and a half over Chicago, with six games left on the schedule.
Cleveland gets Monday off before starting its final road trip of the regular season in Boston, where Parker Messick is lined up to face the Red Sox.
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 🡒]