The Cleveland Guardians didn’t make it easy on themselves, but they found a way to leave Fenway Park with a 3-2 win over the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night and keep hold of first place in the AL Central for at least another day.
It was the kind of game Cleveland had to grind through from start to finish. The Guardians are now 82-75 and have won six straight, with a playoff berth within reach as soon as Wednesday. Their magic number to clinch a postseason spot is two, and the magic number to win the division is five.
Parker Messick did enough to keep Cleveland on track even though he didn’t cruise. He worked five innings, allowed one run on five hits, walked one and struck out five before handing things over with his ERA down to 2.55.
Cleveland struck first in the second inning and built a 2-0 lead. Angel Martinez started the frame with a double and later scored on David Fry’s RBI single. A few batters after that, Brayan Rocchio’s double-play ball with the bases loaded still brought home another run, with Fry scoring on the play.
Boston answered in the bottom half of the inning. Andruw Monasterio grounded out, and Adley Rutschman came across from third to trim the Guardians’ lead to 2-1.
From there, Cleveland’s pitching kept the Red Sox in check until the eighth. That’s when pinch-hitter Mickey Gasper jumped on new reliever Hunter Gaddis and tied the game with a solo homer.
The Guardians needed one more push, and they got it in the ninth. Nathaniel Lowe lifted a sacrifice fly that brought in Chase DeLauter with the go-ahead run. Then Cade Smith took over and shut the door, finishing off his 40th save of the season.
Cleveland didn’t exactly light it up with runners in scoring position, going 1-for-12. Still, the offense piled up 12 hits and found just enough timely contact to win the game.
Martinez finished 3-for-4 with a run scored, while DeLauter went 2-for-4 and scored once. Both also doubled. After Messick exited, the bullpen did its part, with Tim Herrin, Craig Yoho, Erik Sabrowski, Gaddis and Smith combining to allow one run over the final four innings.
The series continues Wednesday at 7:10 p.m. ET, with Foster Griffin set to face Sonny Gray.
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Guardians Moved Within Reach Of October After A Win That Got Tense
The Guardians gave themselves another October boost with a fast start and enough steady work from the mound to hold off a late push. Angel Martnez, David Fry and Nathaniel Lowe all helped build the early cushion, and Parker Messick did his part in a five-inning start before the bullpen took over to finish the job.
Tim Herrin, Craig Yoho, Erik Sabrowski, Hunter Gaddis and Cade Smith each had a hand in protecting the lead, keeping Cleveland in control even as the game tightened down the stretch. The win leaves the Guardians with a magic number of two to clinch a playoff spot, and depending on how the other results break, it could shrink to one before long. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Are Suddenly One Step Closer To A Clinch After Another Thriller
The Guardians kept finding ways to survive on September 22, outlasting the Red Sox 3-2 in another tight, late-September game that fit the tone of a team trying to finish the job. Nathaniel Lowe provided the decisive blow with a sacrifice fly in the ninth inning, while Parker Messick did enough in his start to keep Cleveland in position before the bullpen took over.
Cade Smith finished it off and reached 40 saves on the year, a notable marker for a club that has leaned on its late-inning arm all season. The bigger picture is even better for Cleveland: its magic number to clinch a playoff spot is down to two, and the Guardians still sit atop the AL Central as the calendar turns toward the final stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Vogts Late-Game Guardians Move Is Becoming A Real October Weapon
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Against the Red Sox, that move paid off in a big way, as Genao made a crucial defensive play that helped close out the win and trim Clevelands magic number to clinch a postseason berth. The contrast between the two young infielders has become part of the clubs late-game equation, with Genao offering the steadier glove right now while Bazzana continues to work through the challenges of his first full season. For a team trying to lock down October, those small swaps can carry outsized weight. [Read more 🡒]