The Guardians spent most of the night digging out of a hole, then turned a rough start into another win.
Cleveland and the Los Angeles Angels met in the second game of their three-game set, and the plan was simple enough: Gavin Williams would give the Guardians a normal ace outing. Instead, he was gone before the second inning ended. Williams allowed five runs on six hits and a walk, threw 62 pitches, and left Cleveland to piece together the rest of the game with its bullpen.
That rescue job actually held up. Matt Festa finished the second and worked through the third while allowing only a walk.
Craig Yoho gave up a hit but kept the fourth clean. Logan Allen covered three innings, surrendered a solo homer, and struck out two.
Then Colin Holderman handled the eighth and kept it scoreless, with Angel Martínez robbing Mike Trout of a two-run home run to end the inning.
At that point, the Guardians still had plenty of work to do. They were down 5-0 entering the fourth after wasting chances earlier, including four runners left in scoring position and two bases-loaded situations. It looked a lot like the kind of offensive night Cleveland fans have seen too often.
Then the lineup finally started to break through.
Patrick Bailey opened the fourth with a walk and moved up on a wild pitch. After two outs, Steven Kwan singled to third to put runners on the corners, and Travis Bazzana ripped the first pitch he saw - a four-seamer - into center for an RBI double. José Ramírez followed with a double of his own, driving in two more and cutting the deficit to two.
The comeback kept building in the fifth. Three singles produced another run, with Brayan Rocchio coming through with an RBI single after two outs. Then Steven Kwan grounded a single to right to score Petey Halpin and tie the game.
The Angels answered, but Cleveland answered right back in the eighth. Kwan led off with a single to center, and Ramírez came through again with a one-out RBI double to left, tying it at 6-6.
Erik Sabrowski took over in the ninth and was sharp when it mattered most, striking out three to send the game to extras and give the offense one more shot.
In the tenth, Kwan singled to right and moved the ghost runner, Brayan Rocchio, to third. With one out, Ramírez delivered his third double of the night, bringing home both Rocchio and Kwan for Cleveland’s first lead of the game.
Cade Smith then came in for the tenth, chasing his 35th save of the year. He hit the first batter, and a sacrifice bunt moved the tying run into scoring position, but that was as far as the Angels got. Smith struck out the next two hitters, and Cleveland stretched its win streak to six.
Steven Kwan finished 5-for-5 with a walk, three runs, and an RBI. Ramírez went 3-for-6 with three doubles and five RBIs, and he also stole his 30th base of the season.
In Other News...
Guardians No Longer Need The Kind Of Waiver Gamble Fans Remember
Late-summer waiver drama has become one of those old baseball customs that still grabs attention, even if it no longer carries the same edge it once did. The Reds putting Eugenio Surez and TJ Friedl on waivers is a reminder of how clubs still use every roster mechanism available in August, whether the goal is to open a path for another team to claim a player or simply to create flexibility without making a louder move.
For Cleveland fans, there is at least a little distance from the kind of waiver gamble that used to feel much more urgent. Reports suggest both Reds players are likely to clear and stay put, but the larger point is the same: this is a cost-cutting move first and foremost, not necessarily the start of a major reshuffle. If either player ends up designated for assignment, the next step would only deepen the attention on a transaction that is more about savings than a fresh baseball fit. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Face A Tough Choice With Their Hottest Power Prospect
Ralphy Velazquez has done everything a power prospect can do to force the issue at Triple-A Columbus, where the Guardians No. 2 prospect has spent August launching home runs and putting himself squarely into the conversation for a September call-up. For a Cleveland club that always has to balance present needs with future value, his surge has only sharpened the question of whether the organization should give him a taste of the majors before seasons end.
The hold-up is the familiar one for a young hitter with upside: age, roster math and where he fits defensively all make the decision more complicated than a hot month would suggest. Cleveland is weighing whether a promotion now is worth the potential impact on his long-term development, and for all the noise Velazquez has made with the bat, the Guardians still have to decide if this is the right moment to open that door. [Read more 🡒]
Travis Bazzana Is Giving Guardians Fans A New Reason To Believe
Travis Bazzanas first months in the majors gave Guardians fans exactly the kind of jolt a debuting rookie can provide. After reaching Cleveland in late April and opening with a strong start that even earned him an All-Star nod, he looked like a player who could help steady a lineup looking for a spark, and his recent stretch has come at the same time the club has started to string together wins.
His bat had drifted back toward league average for a while, but Bazzana has picked it up again during Clevelands seven-game winning streak, a run built on resilience and late-game answers. He has been part of several key plays in that surge, and in a season that has already demanded patience, the rookie is beginning to look like more than a bright spot. [Read more 🡒]