The Guardians keep finding new ways to win, and Tuesday night in Anaheim might have been the wildest one yet.
Cleveland erased a five-run deficit early, then came back again after falling behind late, and finished off the Angels 8-6 in 10 innings. It was the biggest rally of the season for the Guardians, who stretched their winning streak to six games and stayed perfect on this road trip, moving to 5-0 through Denver and Anaheim.
José Ramírez was right in the middle of everything. He went 3 for 6 with three doubles and five RBIs, the kind of line that made it look like his bat is finally starting to look like itself again after a long stretch of working back from hamate bone surgery on his left hand.
Manager Stephen Vogt didn’t hide how much that meant.
“We’ve been waiting for a night like this,” Vogt said.
Vogt called it a true Jose night, the kind where Ramírez took over with big swings from both sides of the plate. Ramírez said he still is not at 100 percent since being activated on July 20, but that hasn’t changed the way he approaches the game: compete, and help however he can.
Steven Kwan matched a career high with five hits, and Angel Martinez made one of the night’s biggest defensive plays when he climbed the wall in center field to rob Mike Trout of a potential go-ahead home run in the eighth inning. That catch helped set up the extra-inning finish.
The game opened badly for Cleveland. Gavin Williams was tagged for five runs on six hits in just 1 and 1 third innings, the second-shortest start of his career.
But the Guardians chipped away with two runs in the fourth and two more in the fifth to tie it at 5-5. Then the Angels punched right back when Vaughn Grissom hit his second homer of the night off Logan Allen to put Los Angeles ahead 6-5.
Allen steadied things from there, throwing three solid innings overall and helping preserve the rest of the bullpen for the late frames. Ramírez tied the game again in the eighth with a double, and that set the table for the 10th.
Cleveland scored twice in the top of the inning to finally break through. Kwan started the rally with a single that moved automatic runner Brayan Rocchio to third, and Ramírez finished the job with a double off Blake Weiman that brought in both runs.
Erik Sabrowski earned the win after striking out the Angels in order in the ninth, and Cade Smith handled the 10th for his 35th save in 40 chances.
The victory moved Cleveland to 67-66, kept the club 2 and a half games behind the White Sox in the American League Central, and extended its lead over Texas to a full game for the third and final wild card spot after the Rangers lost to Chicago on the same night.
In Other News...
Guardians No Longer Need The Kind Of Waiver Gamble Fans Remember
The waiver-wire dance that used to send fan bases into a panic is still around, but it does not carry quite the same sting it once did. With the Cincinnati Reds putting Eugenio Surez and TJ Friedl on waivers, the move serves as a reminder of how MLB clubs can still try to create flexibility late in the season, even if the most likely outcome is that both players stay put after the process runs its course.
For a team like the Guardians, who have seen enough roster churn over the years to know how these August moves can work, the important part is the motive behind it. This is less about a sudden on-field shakeup than a financial play by Cincinnati, which is trying to trim salary while navigating the back half of the schedule. In the old days, a waiver claim could bring real drama for a division rival. Now, the bigger question is whether the Reds are simply opening another roster door without intending to walk through it. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Face A Tough Choice With Their Hottest Power Prospect
Ralphy Velazquez has spent August forcing the issue at Triple-A Columbus, putting together a power surge that has turned him into one of the most interesting names in the Guardians system. The 20-year-old, ranked as Clevelands No. 2 prospect, has shown the kind of thump that naturally gets attention when September arrives and rosters open up for clubs looking to add a jolt.
Still, the Guardians are weighing more than just the bat. Age, roster limitations and the trickier question of where Velazquez fits defensively all complicate the decision, even with a major-league opportunity within reach. For a team that has to balance present help against long-term development, the temptation to reward his hot streak is obvious, but so is the risk of moving too fast. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Deadline Gamble Is Changing This Lineup Fast
Jo Adell has wasted little time making his presence felt in Cleveland, giving the Guardians a much-needed jolt after arriving in the trade-deadline shuffle from the Angels. With 20 home runs and 80 RBIs on the season, Adell has carried his power bat into his new dugout and quickly become the kind of right-handed threat the Guardians were looking to add as they try to keep the lineup from feeling too one-dimensional.
The early returns have been strong enough to draw notice beyond the clubhouse, with national insider Jon Heyman pointing to Adell as one of the deadlines most successful pickups. Stephen Vogt and Steven Kwan have both praised the impact he has made, and the bigger question now is how Cleveland uses that production as the lineup keeps adjusting around him. [Read more 🡒]