The Guardians keep finding ways to hang around, and Sunday’s 6-5 comeback over the Seattle Mariners was the latest example. Cleveland has now won two straight and three of its last four, a run that matters even more with Jose Ramirez and Angel Martinez out of the lineup.
That’s the reality hanging over this team right now: people are waiting for the bottom to fall out. Instead, the Guardians are playing with a little edge, trying to prove they can still compete despite the injuries to two of their best bats.
Matt Dery leaned into that bigger picture after the win, calling it a massive one not just because Seattle is a quality opponent, but because it helped Cleveland secure the series. The Guardians took two of three from a Mariners club that came one win short of the World Series last year.
“You’ve got to stay afloat. You just have to stay around, playing .500 baseball without Jose and Angel Martinez, and hopefully make a run here.
Yesterday’s win was enormous. They beat a good team.
Kwan and Manzardo gotta get going, they just have to,” Dery said.
"You just have to play around .500 baseball without Jose and Angel Martinez. Yesterday's win was enormous… Kwan and Manzardo gotta get going."
📞 @DerySpeaks on the Guardians season outlook pic.twitter.com/wFDycGUfYd
- 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) June 29, 2026
The names Dery pointed to are Steven Kwan and Kyle Manzardo, and both have become central to the conversation about Cleveland’s immediate future. Manzardo’s season has already been a roller coaster: a rough opening, a stronger stretch in May and June, and now another cold spell. His last extra-base hit came nine days ago, and his last RBI was a week ago.
Even so, the numbers show he’s not completely underwater. Manzardo has nine homers and a 101 wRC+ on the year, so he’s still been a productive piece overall.
Kwan is the tougher case. The former All-Star is scuffling badly, sitting at .210/.319/.256 with a 70 wRC+.
Some have even floated the idea of sending him to the minors to get right. Right now, he looks out of sync and is carrying a slow swing that has made him a liability at the plate.
If Kwan and Manzardo start producing, Cleveland’s outlook changes fast. For now, though, the Guardians have at least shown they can survive this stretch and keep themselves in the fight.
In Other News...
Austin Hedges Had A Heated Message For Josh Naylor In Reunion
A familiar face and a tense moment gave Clevelands win over Seattle a little extra edge, with Austin Hedges and Josh Naylor getting into a verbal back-and-forth after a pitch-related incident. The flare-up came in a game the Guardians needed, and they got enough from Gavin Williams, Matt Festa and Cade Smith to leave with a 6-5 victory and move to 44-40 on the season.
The matchup also served as a reminder of how quickly old connections can turn sharp when emotions run hot. Cleveland heads into its next series against the Texas Rangers with some momentum, but the Hedges-Naylor reunion added a jolt of drama that lingered well beyond the final inning. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Face A Deadline Test That Will Define This Contender
The Guardians keep finding themselves in the same place every summer, close enough to contend to make July matter and imperfect enough to keep the front office busy. At 44-40 and tied for first in the AL Central, Cleveland is in a familiar spot for a team trying to balance present urgency with long-term restraint, especially with offense that has come and gone and a pitching staff that has been stretched thin.
Help should arrive as injured players work back into the mix, but the deadline still looms as a real test of how far this group can go. Clevelands biggest question is not whether it belongs in the race, but whether it will stay conservative or use what it has to strengthen a roster that needs more punch and more stability if it wants to make a serious playoff push. [Read more 🡒]
Chase DeLauter Just Gave Guardians Fans The Jolt They Needed
Chase DeLauters return from the injured list gave the Guardians a timely spark Friday night, and it came in a game Cleveland badly needed. In a 5-4 win over the Mariners, DeLauter delivered key hits and helped steady an offense that had been searching for a lift, turning a tense night into a series-clinching victory.
The biggest swing came late, when DeLauter put together the kind of at-bat that can change the mood around a clubhouse in a hurry. His two-run ground ball tied the game and opened the door for Cleveland to grab the lead for good, a result that carried extra weight as the Guardians picked up their first series win since losing Jose Ramirez. [Read more 🡒]