Cade Smith didn’t hide how he felt after Gavin Williams bailed him out in Game 4. Relief, sure.
Gratitude, absolutely. Satisfaction?
Not really.
That’s because Smith’s standards don’t leave much room for a messy finish, even in October. The Guardians’ closer had been stretched into the eighth inning Thursday night in Chicago, then came back out for the ninth with Cleveland holding a five-run lead in Game 4 of the American League Division Series against the White Sox.
The inning went sideways fast: Miguel Vargas opened with a home run, Munetaka Murakami drew a walk, and Stephen Vogt had seen enough. Williams, who is scheduled to start Game 5, was called on to clean it up.
He did, locking down a 9-5 win that sent the series back to Progressive Field for Saturday’s winner-take-all Game 5.
Smith was thankful Williams finished the job. He also knew he had put his team in a spot he didn’t want.
“It doesn’t feel good, right?” Smith said Saturday. “As a reliever, our job is to go out there and put up a zero and finish your inning, and I think there’s a lot of guys down there including myself who take great pride in that.”
Smith had thrown 31 pitches by the time Vogt pulled him. That wasn’t the kind of finish he had in mind for a game Cleveland badly needed.
“For me to go through that and to be taken out and Gavin to come in behind me, it’s not something I’m pleased with myself of, because I feel like I didn’t complete my job as I could have,” Smith said.
That pressure, and that self-accountability, are part of why Vogt has trusted him with so many critical outs this season. Smith finished the regular season with 41 saves and was named American League Reliever of the Month in September.
But October has asked for more than the usual closer’s script. Cleveland has needed him for multiple innings, on back-to-back days, and in spots that don’t look anything like a standard save situation.
He pitched in both Games 3 and 4 in Chicago as the Guardians dug out of a 0-2 hole. After a day off Friday, he could be asked for another long assignment Saturday.
“This is do or die, every game matters,” Smith said. “It’s the embodiment of that statement that it’s all hands on deck.”
That’s been the story for Cleveland’s pitching staff through this stretch. Starters have been pushed into relief.
Relievers have taken on heavier loads than usual. Williams, who threw 18 pitches to finish Game 4 in his first career relief appearance, now turns around to start Game 5 in less than 48 hours.
The Guardians aren’t worrying about labels or roles anymore. They just need 27 outs. Smith is expected to be a major part of getting them.
Vogt said Saturday that Smith had bounced back well from Thursday’s workload.
“Cade felt great yesterday and he’s feeling good today,” Vogt said. “Obviously they’re about to go out and throw, and we’ll get the full report on how he’s feeling, but he told me he’d be ready to go.”
Vogt’s trust in Smith comes from watching him prepare all season.
“He’s consistently available,” Vogt said. “He works so hard to keep his body ready. He’s meticulous with his prep and detail and he’s honest with me.”
Smith said those routines, along with help from Cleveland’s training staff, have allowed him to handle the load. He’s not changing anything now.
“Feeling really good, really excited,” Smith said. “I think boys as a group are ready to go, and I’m looking forward to tonight.”
The Guardians have already survived two elimination games and outscored Chicago 18-8 in Games 3 and 4. Their bullpen has taken hit after hit, and Game 5 could push it even further.
Smith knows that even the best relievers sometimes need a lifeline. Williams gave him one Thursday.
“I am super grateful for that, the fact that he came in and picked me up and locked down the win,” Smith said. “I mean, that’s all you can ask for this time of year is winning the game, right?”
Williams needed help in Game 2 despite striking out 11 White Sox. Smith needed Williams to close out Game 4. Now both pitchers could be asked to empty whatever is left in the tank.
Cleveland has leaned hard on Smith to get this far. One more big outing may be waiting. And if the bullpen phone rings again Saturday, Smith sounds ready to pick up.
In Other News...
Guardians Face A Costly ALDS Dilemma Beyond Just The Rotation
The Guardians ALDS picture has plenty of moving parts, and the biggest ones are not limited to who starts which game. As the series has unfolded, the club has had to think through roster balance, how much pitching it wants to carry, and how the front office and players are viewing the broader landscape around MLBPA contract talks. It is the kind of October problem that goes beyond a single matchup and forces a team to weigh short-term survival against longer-term flexibility.
Gavin Williams added another layer to that conversation with a new role in Game 4, since his first big league relief outing also marked his first time pitching out of the bullpen since college. Cleveland is trying to manage the present while leaving enough options open for what comes next, including the possibility of deeper October decisions if the run continues. And with future labor questions looming in the background, the Guardians are dealing with more than just the usual postseason chess match. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Suddenly Look Dangerous Thanks To One Deadline Gamble
Clevelands offense has gone from quiet to relentless at exactly the right time, and the sudden surge has the Guardians sitting one win from the ALCS after taking Games 3 and 4 from the White Sox. Both of those victories came with nine runs on the board, a striking answer from a club that had been searching for the kind of timely thump that changes a postseason series in a hurry.
Jo Adell, brought in as a recent deadline addition, has been right in the middle of it, giving Cleveland a jolt that has changed the feel of the lineup over just two games. His arrival now looks like the kind of move that can reshape October, and the Guardians will carry that new edge into the next game with a chance to finish the job. [Read more 🡒]
Jose Ramirez May Have Just Saved Cleveland At The Perfect Time
Jose Ramirez has spent much of the season searching for the version of himself Cleveland has leaned on for years, and in Game 4 of the ALDS he finally gave the Guardians a reminder of why he matters so much in October. After working through pain since hamate bone surgery and enduring a difficult offensive stretch, Ramirez kept showing signs of life across the first two playoff games and then added another jolt in a 9-5 win over the White Sox.
The biggest swing came in the fifth inning, when his two-run homer flipped the game and helped Cleveland protect its season for at least one more night. With the series now headed to a decisive Game 5 at Progressive Field, the Guardians suddenly have reason to believe Ramirez may be heating up at exactly the right time, and that changes the feel of everything around them. [Read more 🡒]