The Guardians kept the pressure on Wednesday in Anaheim, turning a rough early stretch from Joey Cantillo into another late-game escape act and a 5-3 win over the Angels. The result completed a second straight sweep, extended Cleveland’s winning streak to seven, and wrapped up a perfect road trip before an off day and a homestand.
It looked shaky early. Cantillo was trying to bounce back after a tough start in Colorado last Friday, but the control issues showed up again almost immediately.
Through three innings, he had already walked five and hit another batter. He limited the damage to two hits, including an infield single, but the traffic kept piling up and the Angels made him pay.
The first run came on an infield single that turned into a throwing error by the pitcher. Then a second inning that included three walks, a hit by pitch and a sacrifice fly brought in two more. By the time Cleveland fell behind 3-0, the story seemed obvious enough: the Guardians were staring at another uphill climb.
Cantillo’s final line was a strange one: 6 innings, 3 runs, 2 earned, 2 hits, 7 walks and 1 strikeout, plus a hit by pitch. Even with all the free passes, he settled in after the early damage. He didn’t allow a hit after the third batter, got the last six outs among the final five hitters he faced, induced two ground-ball double plays and didn’t let a runner reach second after the second inning.
The offense eventually matched the comeback from the night before. Cleveland got on the board in the fifth with a run built on a double, a productive groundout and a sacrifice fly. Then the Guardians added another in the eighth on a bunt single, a walk and an RBI single.
Down 3-2 entering the ninth, Cleveland finished the job with three straight hits, then pushed across the tying and winning runs on a game-winning sacrifice fly. Bazz’s second sacrifice fly of the game sealed it.
For a team that was 6 straight wins coming into the finale, it was another reminder that this run is being built on more than one kind of momentum. Whether it’s the schedule, a turn in fortune or just a hot streak, the Guardians have now strung together a stretch that’s hard to miss.
In Other News...
Guardians No Longer Need The Kind Of Waiver Gamble Fans Remember
Late-summer waiver drama has become one of those old baseball customs that still grabs attention, even if it no longer carries the same edge it once did. The Reds putting Eugenio Surez and TJ Friedl on waivers is a reminder of how clubs still use every roster mechanism available in August, whether the goal is to open a path for another team to claim a player or simply to create flexibility without making a louder move.
For Cleveland fans, there is at least a little distance from the kind of waiver gamble that used to feel much more urgent. Reports suggest both Reds players are likely to clear and stay put, but the larger point is the same: this is a cost-cutting move first and foremost, not necessarily the start of a major reshuffle. If either player ends up designated for assignment, the next step would only deepen the attention on a transaction that is more about savings than a fresh baseball fit. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Face A Tough Choice With Their Hottest Power Prospect
Ralphy Velazquez has done everything a power prospect can do to force the issue at Triple-A Columbus, where the Guardians No. 2 prospect has spent August launching home runs and putting himself squarely into the conversation for a September call-up. For a Cleveland club that always has to balance present needs with future value, his surge has only sharpened the question of whether the organization should give him a taste of the majors before seasons end.
The hold-up is the familiar one for a young hitter with upside: age, roster math and where he fits defensively all make the decision more complicated than a hot month would suggest. Cleveland is weighing whether a promotion now is worth the potential impact on his long-term development, and for all the noise Velazquez has made with the bat, the Guardians still have to decide if this is the right moment to open that door. [Read more 🡒]
Travis Bazzana Is Giving Guardians Fans A New Reason To Believe
Travis Bazzanas first months in the majors gave Guardians fans exactly the kind of jolt a debuting rookie can provide. After reaching Cleveland in late April and opening with a strong start that even earned him an All-Star nod, he looked like a player who could help steady a lineup looking for a spark, and his recent stretch has come at the same time the club has started to string together wins.
His bat had drifted back toward league average for a while, but Bazzana has picked it up again during Clevelands seven-game winning streak, a run built on resilience and late-game answers. He has been part of several key plays in that surge, and in a season that has already demanded patience, the rookie is beginning to look like more than a bright spot. [Read more 🡒]