KANSAS CITY - The Guardians didn’t find one magic moment this season. They found a couple.
That’s how general manager Mike Chernoff sees it, anyway, and the clearest one came during a six-day trip out west from Aug. 21 through Aug. 26.
Cleveland went 6-0 on that swing, swept the Rockies and Angels in three-game sets, and stretched the run to seven straight when it beat the Giants at Progressive Field the day before the trip began. It was the club’s longest winning streak of the year, and it chopped the gap in the AL Central from 4 1/2 games to 2 1/2.
“It created momentum,” said Chernoff.
The other shift came through personnel. On Aug. 3, the Guardians added veteran bats Jo Adell and Nathaniel Lowe in trades with the Angels and Reds, and brought in left-hander Foster Griffin from the Nationals. Right-hander Craig Yoho had already been added on Aug. 1 in a deal with Milwaukee.
At the same time, help started returning from inside the building. Jose Ramirez, Angel Martinez and Chase DeLauter all came back from the injured list after being sidelined with left hand, left foot and right rib injuries, respectively.
The three went on the IL on June 13 in a game against the Tigers. DeLauter was back in the lineup on June 28, while Ramirez and Martinez returned later, on July 22 and July 24.
The record around that stretch was uneven - 12-13 in July and 13-13 in August - and by Aug. 16 the Guardians had slipped to third place, six games back of the White Sox. But the slide didn’t stick. Since Aug. 20, they’ve gone 23-10.
That surge pushed them into first place on Sept. 16, when they beat the White Sox 6-3 and moved a half-game ahead. They’ve held that spot since.
If Cleveland beats the Royals on Saturday night and the White Sox lose to the Rockies, the Central title will be theirs.
There’s also a decision looming if that happens: would the Guardians still send Parker Messick out to start Sunday against Kansas City? The logic is obvious. He last pitched Tuesday against Boston, and getting him work before the Division Series begins Oct. 3 would make sense.
Angel Martinez has been one of the quiet drivers behind the push. His four-RBI night Friday marked the fifth time this season he’s had at least four RBIs in a game, and he came into Saturday with 12 RBIs over his last 12 games.
“To be truthful, from the time I met Angel in the spring training of 2024, I saw this guy,” said manager Stephen Vogt. “I knew it was going to take some time. He needed to go through the growing pains of what it takes to be a big leaguer.
“He’s made significant strides from the left side of the plate this year. He’s taken advantages of the opportunities he’s had and forced our hand.
“He’s played himself into an almost everyday role.”
Friday’s 12-9 win also came with a rare amount of traffic at the plate. Cleveland drew 13 walks, its most in a nine-inning game since Sept. 9, 1979 against Toronto.
The wildest stretch came in the ninth, when the Guardians worked six walks and turned a 7-7 tie into a five-run rally. Jose Ramirez, Chase DeLauter and Petey Halpin drew three straight walks with the bases loaded.
“There aren’t many stress-free at-bats up here, but that was one,” said Halpin.
The last time Cleveland drew six walks in one inning was Sept. 10, 1999 against the White Sox, when it happened in the fourth.
And then there’s Cade Smith, whose fastball has clearly left an impression on Vogt.
“In the spring of 2025, I went behind the cage to watch him throw batting practice and my knees started shaking a little bit,” said Vogt. “It looks like he’s letting go of it two feet in front of your face. It’s a real fastball.
“It’s a big boy fastball.”
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Guardians Final Roster Move Just Clarified A Key Postseason Battle
The Guardians have started to sort out their postseason pitching picture, and the latest move points to how they want to cover the middle innings if games get hectic. Austin Peterson was added to the pitching staff for the playoffs, giving Cleveland another bulk relief option after he handled that role behind starter Parker Messick in the season finale.
The corresponding roster change came with Craig Yoho coming off the postseason roster, a shift that underscores how fluid the back end of October pitching plans can be. Clevelands current setup appears to center on Parker Messick and Gavin Williams in the rotation, with Daniel Espino and Joey Cantillo lined up to bridge the game behind them, while Tanner Bibee and Foster Griffin remain possibilities to work out of the bullpen. [Read more 🡒]
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For Cleveland, the setup offers both rest and a little uncertainty, since the next opponent will be determined by a series that could play out a few different ways. The broader October schedule is already in place from the Wild Card Series through the World Series, but the immediate focus for the Guardians is on preparing for either Houstons experience or Chicagos path as they get ready for the first real test of their playoff run. [Read more 🡒]
A Tragic Indians Game Still Carries One Haunting Irony
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Stagemyer died the following day, and the incident is believed to be the first case of a fan dying as a direct result of a ball-related injury at a Major League Baseball game. For a game that would otherwise have faded into the long blur of wartime baseball, the memory lingers because of the terrible irony at its center. [Read more 🡒]