Jo Adell kept carrying the Cleveland Guardians, and Tanner Bibee made sure the rest held up.
Adell blasted a three-run homer and did most of the heavy lifting offensively as Cleveland edged the Colorado Rockies 4-3 on Saturday night. The win was the Guardians’ third in a row and their fifth in the last seven games, pushing them back to 64-66 after a stretch in which they had struggled for much of the second half.
Bibee backed it up with a strong six-inning outing, allowing two runs on five hits and one walk while striking out six. He lowered his ERA to 3.97 and gave Cleveland exactly what it needed to keep the game in hand.
The Guardians were quiet through the first three innings, then flipped the script in the fourth. Chase DeLauter drew a leadoff walk, Jose Ramirez singled, and Adell followed by launching his fourth home run since joining the Guardians and his 20th of the season.
Colorado answered in the bottom half when Troy Johnston ripped a run-scoring double to bring in Willi Castro and make it 3-1. The Rockies then trimmed the margin again in the fifth on Mickey Moniak’s solo shot off Bibee.
Cleveland got some breathing room back in the sixth. Patrick Bailey came through with an RBI single that scored Adell and restored a two-run cushion at 4-2.
The Rockies made one last push in the ninth when Connor Norby opened against Cade Smith with a solo homer. That cut the lead to 4-3, but Smith closed it out for his 33rd save of the year.
Erik Sabrowski and Hunter Gaddis each worked a scoreless inning to bridge the game to Smith. Along with Adell’s big night, Ramirez and DeLauter each scored once, and Bailey delivered the key RBI.
The series continues Sunday at 3:10 pm ET. Cleveland will try for its first sweep since July 10-12, when it took three straight from the Miami Marlins just before the All-Star break. Foster Griffin is scheduled to start for the Guardians, while Tomoyuki Sugano will pitch for the Rockies.
In Other News...
Gabriel Arias Just Forced A Former Guardian Back Out Of Chicago
The Cubs infield shuffle kept turning over before Owen Miller could really settle in. Chicago brought him up after Dansby Swanson went down with an injury, looking for quick depth in the middle infield, but his stay on the roster was about as brief as it gets. For a player who has already worn uniforms for Cleveland, Milwaukee and Colorado, it was another short stop in a career that has bounced around the league.
Chicago then claimed Gabriel Arias off waivers, and the move pushed Miller back out of the picture almost immediately. Arias is expected to fill a utility role behind Nico Hoerner and Pedro Ramrez, giving the Cubs another versatile infield option while closing the door on Millers latest chance to stick in Chicago. [Read more 🡒]
Angel Genao Is Forcing A Guardians Infield Dilemma
Angel Genaos first taste of the big leagues has been enough to make the Guardians pay attention. Since making his MLB debut on Aug. 5, he has handled a utility infield role with the kind of steady play that can change a managers thinking, pairing a .320/.382/.440 slash line with encouraging defensive work through his first 50 at-bats.
Stephen Vogt has already acknowledged the ripple effect, noting that Genaos performance is turning the infield into a real competition for playing time. For Cleveland, that is the good kind of problem to have, but it can also lead to difficult roster decisions as the club tries to balance production, versatility and opportunity across the group. [Read more 🡒]
Stephen Vogt Just Sent A Clear Message With Clevelands Lineup
Stephen Vogt did something rare for Cleveland this week by rolling out the same lineup in back-to-back games, a small choice that still carried plenty of meaning in a season where the manager has mixed and matched often. It suggested a group that was starting to settle in, and it came with rookie Angel Genao holding down shortstop for a second straight start while Erik Sabrowski continued to trend up after his return from the injured list.
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 🡒]