The Guardians are deep in that late-season stretch where every out seems to matter twice. At 65-66, they’re juggling two races at once: 3 1/2 games back of the White Sox in the AL Central and dead even with the Rangers for the American League’s third Wild Card spot.
That’s why the three-game series at Rate Field between Chicago and Texas matters so much to Cleveland. The Guardians can’t control those games, but they can absolutely benefit from them. Any result there will shift the board in some direction, and with Cleveland also getting ready for its own three-game set against the Angels, the timing lines up as well as it can for scoreboard watching.
There’s also a wrinkle that makes this a little more complicated. Both the Rangers and White Sox own tiebreakers over the Guardians because of better head-to-head records.
So even though Cleveland is in the mix, it has to keep an eye on more than just the standings column. A win for the Guardians brings some kind of gain.
A loss brings some kind of damage.
If Cleveland does what it needs to do against the Angels, the most useful result out of Chicago might be a Rangers series win, two games to one. That would likely push the Guardians into the AL’s third Wild Card spot while also helping them trim the gap in the division race.
Houston is part of that picture too. The Astros also sit at 65-66, and they currently hold the AL West lead because of their tiebreaker edge over Texas.
They’re off later today before opening a three-game series with the Yankees on Tuesday. Houston also has the tiebreaker over Cleveland, so if the Guardians sweep the Angels and the Astros sweep New York, the Astros would still stay ahead in the Wild Card chase.
The Astros’ situation has its own noise around it, too. They just parted ways with general manager Dana Brown.
Still, the cleaner storyline for Cleveland is what happens with the White Sox and Rangers. That series starts later today with Kumar Rocker facing a White Sox starter who has yet to be announced. Tuesday brings Anthony Kay against Jacob deGrom, and the finale features MacKenzie Gore opposite Sean Burke.
Cleveland’s own series begins tonight with Parker Messick set to pitch against Angels starter Goerge Klassan. Gavin Williams gets the ball Tuesday against promising rookie Walbert Ureña, and Joey Cantillo will face Grayson Rodriguez in Wednesday’s finale.
The Guardians have already clawed their way back into the conversation. Now they’ve got a week that could give them a real push if they take care of business.
In Other News...
Guardians Face A Growing Chase DeLauter Concern In Playoff Push
Jo Adell got his first taste of the Guardians playoff push quickly after arriving from the Angels, speaking to reporters at Angel Stadium following his Aug. 3 trade and then helping his new club by driving in a run in Clevelands win over his former team. It was a tidy snapshot of what the Guardians are chasing right now, as they try to stay in the mix in the American League Central while also protecting a wild card position.
The bigger concern hanging over that race is Chase DeLauter, whose injury has become an increasingly important subplot for a team trying to survive the stretch run. Cleveland can lean on newcomers and lineup depth in the short term, but the margin for error gets thinner if one of its more intriguing pieces remains unavailable as the pressure builds. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Suddenly Have A Slade Cecconi Decision Coming
Slade Cecconi is beginning to edge back into the Guardians picture after landing on the 15-day injured list with right arm fatigue. The right-hander is set to start a rehab assignment with Triple-A Columbus, where he is expected to make several appearances as Cleveland gets a closer look at where he stands physically and how quickly he can build back up.
What makes the next stretch interesting for the Guardians is that Cecconi may not be returning to a single, fixed job. Depending on how the staff looks when he is ready, Cleveland could slot him back into the rotation or use him out of the bullpen, and the teams health and roster needs will help determine the path. [Read more 🡒]
Parker Messick Is Forcing A Debate Cleveland Fans Never Expected
Parker Messick has gone from intriguing rookie to one of the more important arms in the Cleveland rotation, and he has done it with the kind of consistency that tends to change the conversation around a young pitcher fast. The left-hander has paired a 2.50 ERA with 156 strikeouts over 155 innings, and the most notable part of his rise may be how often he has looked comfortable in the moments that matter most, using a varied pitch mix to navigate tough lineups and keep games under control.
His 10-8 record still leaves plenty of room for the usual short-hand evaluation, but the broader picture is harder to ignore. Around the club and among some analysts, Messick is starting to come up in the same breath as the American League's top pitchers, which is not where anyone expected the discussion to be when the season began. For Cleveland, the question is no longer whether he belongs in the rotation. It is how far his performance can push him in a Cy Young race that suddenly feels worth mentioning. [Read more 🡒]