Kahlil Watson didn’t need much time to make his mark Friday night. One pitch from Sean Newcomb in the 10th inning, one clean swing, and Steven Kwan was racing home with the winning run as the Guardians edged the White Sox, 4-3, at Progressive Field.
The finish capped Cleveland’s second straight walk-off victory and third of the season, and it pushed the Guardians back into first place in the American League Central by one game over Chicago. It also extended Cleveland’s winning streak against the White Sox to three games.
Watson’s hit came after Travis Bazzana started the 10th with a single through the left side, moving Kwan to third and setting the stage for the game-winner. Watson had already entered as a pinch hitter for David Fry in the eighth, and he kept his strong history against Chicago rolling.
In five games against the White Sox, he has hit in four of them. He entered Friday with a .385 average against them, along with a home run and seven RBI.
Erik Sabrowski handled the 10th on the mound, striking out two in a scoreless inning to pick up his third win. Newcomb took the loss, his second.
Cleveland had to dig out of a two-run hole before ever getting to extra innings. The Guardians’ seventh-inning rally came with two outs and turned the game back in their direction.
Rhys Hoskins drew a leadoff walk from Seranthony Dominguez and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Brayan Rocchio later walked, and after Bryan Hudson came in, he struck out pinch-hitter Daniel Schneemann for the second out.
Austin Hedges then came through with a ground ball that got through the left side, deflecting off Colson Montgomery’s glove and into left field for an RBI single that scored Hoskins. Hedges has been driving in runs in bunches lately, with four RBI over his last two games after bringing home three on Wednesday against Seattle.
Steven Kwan followed with a flare down the left-field line that scored Rocchio with the tying run, and Sam Antonacci’s trouble fielding the ball let Hedges and Kwan move up into scoring position. Hudson got out of the inning by striking out Bazzana.
Before that rally, the night had started to tilt the other way. Gavin Williams battled Miguel Vargas through a long at-bat in the fifth, and then Vargas turned on a sweeper and sent it 374 feet to the left-field porch for his 20th home run of the season.
The three-run blast, hit with two outs, gave Chicago a 3-1 lead. Statcast had the ball at 106.3 mph off the bat.
The home run came just as the weather turned. Grounds crew members were already moving into place as the tarp went on after Vargas crossed the plate, and the rain delay officially started at 8:21 p.m. The break lasted 1 hour and 55 minutes.
Williams’ duel with Vargas had been a grind. Vargas fell behind 0-2, then fought off four pitches, including a pair of 100 mph fastballs, before finally getting the pitch he could drive. Moments later, the storm forced both teams off the field.
Chicago’s bullpen protected the lead after the delay. Starter Anthony Kay struck out two and walked two over four innings, and Jordan Hicks plus Chris Murphy combined to keep Cleveland quiet aside from a Rocchio leadoff single in the fifth. The Guardians didn’t break through again until Hoskins sparked the seventh.
Cleveland had opened the scoring in the third. Gabriel Arias and Hedges walked to start the inning, Kwan bunted them both into scoring position, and Bazzana lined an RBI single into center to make it 1-0. Bazzana entered the game leading Cleveland with 16 RBI since June 1, and his 27 RBI ranked fifth among American League rookies despite not debuting until late April.
The Guardians improved to 4-3 in extra-inning games and 16-14 in one-run contests. The series continues Saturday at 7:10 p.m., with Parker Messick set to start for Cleveland against Sean Burke for Chicago.
In Other News...
Guardians Rookie Faces More Heat As Rough Lesson Continues
Cooper Ingles growing pains in left field continued against the White Sox, where the Guardians rookie was charged with his second error in two games after dropping a fly ball. The miscue stood out because Ingle is still a catcher by trade and is only beginning to learn the demands of a new position after a recent promotion.
Stephen Vogt has already tried to frame the situation as part of the learning curve, urging Ingle to move past the first mistake and keep playing. For Cleveland, the larger question is how quickly a player with so little outfield experience can settle in while the club keeps asking him to handle a spot that is still very new to him. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Suddenly Have A Breakout Star On The Verge Of Recognition
Parker Messick has gone from an afterthought in spring training to one of the most interesting pitchers in Clevelands season, giving the Guardians a legitimate breakout arm at a time when they needed one. The left-hander has paired steady results with strong underlying metrics, and his 2.85 ERA has put him among the American Leagues better starters while earning attention well beyond the clubhouse.
With All-Star rosters still not finalized, Messick is suddenly in the conversation as a possible first-time selection, which would be a remarkable turn for a pitcher who was not expected to be in the rotation out of camp. He has already turned heads inside the game, and the next step is whether that recognition turns into a trip to the midsummer showcase, something he has made clear would carry real meaning for him. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Seized Control Of The Central In Unbelievable Fashion
Chicago had spent much of the night looking like the sharper team, jumping on Cleveland early and putting the Guardians in a familiar chase mode at Progressive Field. But the home team kept hanging around, and the game turned into the kind of late-inning grind that can change the feel of a season, especially when first place in the AL Central is sitting there for the taking.
Brayan Rocchio delivered the swing that made it happen, a two-run shot in the ninth that sent Cleveland home with a 6-5 win and its second walk-off victory of his career. The result pushed the Guardians into sole possession of first in the division on a percentage basis, another reminder of how quickly a race can flip when a club keeps finding ways to finish. [Read more 🡒]