The Cleveland Guardians arrived in Colorado carrying a rough second half and left Friday night looking a whole lot sharper.
A 9-1 win over the Rockies pushed Cleveland to 63-66 and gave the club its fourth victory in the last six games. That surge matters as the Guardians try to reel in the Chicago White Sox in the AL Central, though for now they’re still battling for a Wild Card spot.
Joey Cantillo did his part early, working 4.2 innings and limiting Colorado to one run at a park that can be brutal on pitchers. He allowed four hits, issued four walks and struck out five while navigating the thin air in the mountains.
Colorado struck first in the bottom of the opening inning. Willi Castro delivered an RBI single that scored Jake McCarthy, but the lead didn’t last long.
Petey Halpin answered in the top of the third with his third home run of the season to even things up. Cleveland then took control in the fourth, when Travis Bazzana - the night’s biggest story - ripped a two-run single to bring in Nathaniel Lowe and Angel Genao.
The offense kept rolling from there. Jo Adell singled home Steven Kwan in the fifth, and Bazzana later scored on a groundout by the leadoff hitter to make it 5-1 in the sixth. Patrick Bailey blew the game open in the seventh with a three-run homer that stretched the margin to 8-1.
Bazzana wasn’t done. He added another run-scoring single in the ninth to drive in Lowe and cap a four-hit night.
The rookie infielder finished 4-for-5 with two runs and three RBI after a recent slump. Bailey also homered and drove in three, while Lowe crossed the plate three times.
Cleveland’s bullpen took it home from there. Tim Herrin, Colin Holderman, Craig Yoho and Matt Festa combined for 4.1 scoreless innings to close out the win.
The teams meet again Saturday night in Game 2, with first pitch set for 8:10 pm ET. Tanner Bibee will start for the Guardians against Gabriel Hughes.
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Stephen Vogt Just Sent A Clear Message With Clevelands Lineup
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The lineup stability also fit the broader tone around the club, where Vogt had checked in with key players about how they were feeling before locking things in. Jos Ramrez was part of that conversation, and he kept adding to his place in franchise history with another hit, nudging himself further up Cleveland's all-time list while the Guardians tried to find a rhythm that has been elusive for much of the season. [Read more 🡒]