The Cleveland Guardians are still hanging around the race, but Monday night in Baltimore was another reminder that the margin for error has all but vanished. Cleveland fell 6-4 to the Orioles at Camden Yards after a ninth-inning push came up just short, leaving the Guardians at 73-72 and staring at a tense stretch with the postseason picture tightening.
The loss also kept the focus on Toronto. If the reigning American League champs beat the Athletics on Monday night, they would move into a tie with Cleveland for the third and final Wild Card spot. That’s the backdrop now: every game matters, and the Guardians know it.
For much of the night, though, Cleveland was chasing. Joey Cantillo never found the strike zone consistently, and the Orioles made him pay.
The left-hander lasted just 2.1 innings, walking five and hitting two batters while giving up four runs. His ERA sits at 4.00, and his hold on a rotation job is suddenly a real question.
Baltimore got on the board in the second when Dylan Beavers lined an RBI double with two men on, scoring Samuel Basallo. Then the third inning turned ugly for Cleveland.
Coby Mayo opened it with a solo homer, and the Orioles kept stacking traffic after Franco Aleman came on in relief. A walk to Blaze Alexander forced in another run, and Pete Alonso drew a bases-loaded walk to make it 4-0.
Both of those runs were charged to Cantillo.
The Guardians finally answered in the sixth. Jo Adell doubled in Brayan Rocchio for Cleveland’s first run, but Baltimore answered right back. Slade Cecconi, who at least gave the club three innings of work, gave up a two-run homer to Mayo with Jackson Holliday aboard, pushing the Orioles ahead 6-1.
That set the stage for Cleveland’s late rally. Adell and Jose Ramirez opened the ninth with back-to-back singles, and after Angel Martinez lined out, Nathaniel Lowe crushed a three-run homer to cut the deficit to 6-4. Stephen Vogt’s decision to pinch-hit for David Fry looked pretty good in that moment.
But that was as far as the comeback went. Angel Genao and Patrick Bailey recorded the final two outs, and the Guardians were left with another frustrating finish.
Adell finished 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI. Daniel Espino and Craig Yoho each worked a scoreless inning out of the bullpen. Cleveland and Baltimore will continue the series Tuesday at 6:35 pm at Camden Yards, with Tanner Bibee set to face Brandon Young.
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Cleveland, meanwhile, gets a cleaner look at the standings picture with the Orioles still sitting behind the Guardians and coming up next for a three-game series. Robert will not be part of that matchup, which strips some of the urgency from Baltimores latest gamble and leaves its roster decision hanging into the offseason. The Orioles still have to sort out his contract beyond this year, and the early signs suggest they may be headed toward a buyout rather than bringing him back on the club option. [Read more 🡒]
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His most visible work came later, when he led Boston to a playoff run in 1988 during a four-season managerial tenure. For Cleveland fans, his passing is a reminder of how many former players and baseball men passed through the organization before finding another chapter elsewhere, and how those connections can surface again only when a life in the game comes to an end. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Face A Rotation Decision They Cant Get Wrong
Joey Cantillos recent starts have put Cleveland in a familiar late-season spot, weighing performance against patience at a time when every outing carries more weight. The left-hander has had trouble keeping runners off base, and the Guardians are now looking hard at whether he still fits best in the rotation as they try to stay in the Wild Card hunt.
Slade Cecconi, Logan Allen, Ben Lively and Austin Peterson are all in the mix if Cleveland decides a change is needed. The Guardians have options, but this is the kind of rotation call that can shape the stretch run, especially for a club trying to squeeze every last bit of value out of its pitching staff without giving away innings it may need later. [Read more 🡒]