The Guardians’ season is on the edge after Game 5 went Tampa Bay’s way, 3-1, at Progressive Field on Sunday, Oct. 18.
Cleveland now trails 3-2 in the best-of-seven American League Championship Series, with Game 6 set for 8:08 p.m. Monday, Oct. 19, at Tropicana Field in St.
Petersburg, Florida.
What makes this loss sting is how familiar the trouble looked. Two of the biggest concerns for Cleveland heading into the series have now shown up in back-to-back games.
In Game 4, the Rays’ top three hitters finally broke through together after being held down earlier in the series. In Game 5, the Guardians ran straight into their old offensive problems again, unable to solve Drew Rasmussen and again struggling to generate enough at the plate.
That’s what leaves Cleveland with so many issues to sort through on the short trip to Tampa Bay. The offense has already put the club in a tough spot once in the AL Division Series, and now it has done it again in the ALCS. On top of that, the Guardians are left with plenty of questions about how they’ll handle Game 6 from a pitching standpoint.
The starting pitching matchup tilted heavily toward Tampa Bay. All-Star Parker Messick lasted only two innings for the Guardians, allowing two runs, five hits and two walks while striking out three. He threw 57 pitches, 34 for strikes.
Rasmussen, meanwhile, was sharp and efficient over seven innings. He gave up one run, four hits and one walk while striking out six on 95 pitches, 69 of them for strikes.
For Cleveland, the night had an uncomfortable echo of Games 1 and 2 of the ALDS, when the offense managed only seven hits and three runs combined. In Game 5, the Guardians finished with one run and five hits.
In Other News...
Guardians Face A Real October Decision On Travis Bazzana
Travis Bazzana has given the Guardians plenty to like at the plate, but October is exposing the other half of the equation. The rookie second baseman has been productive offensively, yet his defensive growing pains have been hard to ignore, with seven errors at second base this season and a rough night in a recent game against the Rays putting the issue back in focus.
Stephen Vogt has already shown he is willing to make late-game changes at the position, using Angel Genao as a defensive substitute during the postseason. With the Guardians trying to squeeze every out of a tight game, the question is no longer whether Bazzanas bat belongs in the lineup, but whether his glove can hold up enough to keep him in the starting role. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Just Got An Added Insult Before Elimination Game In Tampa
The Guardians left Tampa trailing in the American League Championship Series after the Rays took a 3-2 edge with a 3-1 win in Game 5, putting Cleveland in a must-win spot heading into Game 6 at Tropicana Field. It was the kind of loss that tightens every storyline around an elimination game, especially with the Rays now carrying all the momentum back home.
Yandy Daz did not try to soften the moment afterward. The Rays designated hitter sounded confident the series would end in Tampa, while also giving Drew Rasmussen a nod for the way he has pitched throughout the matchup. For Cleveland, it adds another layer of pressure before a game that will decide whether the season continues or stops in Florida. [Read more 🡒]
Travis Bazzana May Have Just Changed Cleveland's ALCS Outlook
Travis Bazzana gave Cleveland a lift in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series, reaching base three times against Tampa Bay and delivering the kind of all-around night that can shift a series. The rookies first career playoff homer came with a walk, a run scored and an RBI, and it helped spark a rally as the Guardians clawed their way back into the game.
Even in a loss, Bazzanas best postseason showing to date mattered for a club that needed a jolt and got one from a young bat in a pressure spot. Cleveland heads into the next phase with the ALCS tied at two games apiece, and if this keeps up, the rookie's emergence could end up being one of the defining stories of the series. [Read more 🡒]