Daily News 19

Tag: Cleveland Guardians

  • Travis Bazzana Hits 13th Solo Home Run

    Travis Bazzana Hits 13th Solo Home Run

    Guardians Take Early Lead with Back-to-Back Home Runs

    Cleveland Guardians infielder Travis Bazzana launched a home run to right field in the first inning, going back-to-back with teammate Jo Adell and widening Cleveland’s lead to 3-0.

    Play-by-Play Commentary

    The broadcast team captured the sequence as it unfolded:

    “That’s hit pretty well.”

    “Right field.”

    “Back is Peters.”

    “On the track.”

    “He’s outta room.”

    “It’s outta here.”

    “Back-to-back homers in the first, and it’s three-nothing Cleveland.”

    Bazzana’s Hot Streak Continues

    The commentators highlighted Bazzana’s recent form at the plate:

    “Well, Bazan has been swinging a hot bat, and he’s seeing everything beautifully, and he wasted no time.”

    “That’s gonna be number 13 for Bazan.”

    “And it’s a three-run inning, and keep it rolling.”

    “Second home run in what is now a five-game hit streak for Travis Bazan”

    The early offensive surge gave the Guardians a commanding start, with Bazzana’s home run marking his 13th of the season and extending his hitting streak to five consecutive games.

  • Guardians’ Season Saved by Four Swings, Two Dramatic Wins in One Day

    Guardians’ Season Saved by Four Swings, Two Dramatic Wins in One Day

    CLEVELAND — If the Cleveland Guardians nudge their way into the October picture, they will remember Sept. 4 as the day that saved their season. For the first time since Aug. 19, 1984 — when the Clint Eastwood thriller “Tightrope” was the No. 1 movie in the country — Cleveland walked off both ends of a doubleheader, securing two dramatic, must-have victories separated by four hours and 39 minutes.

    Guardians Complete Twin Comebacks Against Tigers

    The Guardians erased deficits in each game against the Detroit Tigers. A day that threatened their grip on the final wild-card berth and their bid to unseat the division-leading Chicago White Sox instead proved about as fruitful as possible. The action began with a 64-minute rain delay and a shaky first inning from starter Logan Allen, forcing the bullpen into action just a couple of outs into a 19-inning day. It ended with rookie Travis Bazzana triumphantly slamming his helmet into the grass and sprinting so far from his pursuing teammates that reliever Hunter Gaddis gasped for air and “put the brakes on.”

    Along the way, Cleveland lost Chase DeLauter to a right wrist sprain, Angel Martínez to a left shoulder contusion, and manager Stephen Vogt to an ejection. Gaddis, Erik Sabrowski, and Daniel Espino submitted critical multi-inning efforts to stabilize a bullpen juggling a cascade of moving parts.

    Rocchio and Bazzana Deliver Historic Heroics

    Brayan Rocchio smashed a tying grand slam and a walk-off home run to earn hero status in a 7-6 Game 1 victory.

    We adore you, Brayan Rocchio.#GuardsBall | #GuardiWins

    — Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) September 4, 2026

    Bazzana belted a two-run shot to erase an eighth-inning deficit, then ripped a walk-off single to secure a 4-3 Game 2 victory. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it is the first time in the expansion era (since 1961) that a team had a player record a game-winning RBI and a game-tying hit in the same game in both ends of a doubleheader. Cleveland’s middle-infield duo, mired in a second-half slump, provided a pair of long-awaited adrenaline releases.

    Bazzana Breaks Out of Slump in Clutch Fashion

    Bazzana entered Friday’s action with a .559 OPS over his previous 56 games. The rookie and former All-Star carried Cleveland’s lineup at a time when injuries sidelined DeLauter and José Ramírez and when Steven Kwan and Kyle Manzardo were scuffling. He acknowledged he had been pressing and needed a day like this.

    “It’s that time of year where you have to make stuff happen,” Bazzana said.

    “I’ve been trying to figure it all out,” Bazzana said. “I really haven’t been at my best. I haven’t been the best version of myself. … I think I needed that, those close games, and just (to) get out of my head and compete.”

    He went 2-for-3 in the opener and replaced DeLauter in the nightcap, collecting two more hits. When he made contact in the eighth inning, he delivered a stone-cold stare to his dugout as the baseball sailed over the fence in right-center. He was far more animated during his walk-off single, spiking his helmet before Rocchio even reached home plate. (Somewhere, former Browns linebacker Dwayne Rudd, inventor of the premature celebratory helmet toss, pointed at his TV screen like Leonardo DiCaprio.)

    “You have to find a way to be mentally consistent and mentally bring out the best in yourself,” Bazzana said. “I think sometimes the moment does that for you. I think the best in the world are able to do that when the moment doesn’t give it to you.”

    Rocchio Continues “Rocctober” Legacy

    For Rocchio, the narrative was strikingly similar. Before the doubleheader, he owned a .177/.218/.252 slash line since the All-Star break. On Thursday afternoon, he struck out with runners on the corners, smacked his bat, and slammed it into the ground in frustration. He later sought guidance from veteran teammates Austin Hedges and Nathaniel Lowe, who assured him his fortunes would change.

    They did. Rocchio became the sixth player in league history, per Elias, to hit a walk-off home run after hitting a grand slam earlier in the same game. In his three years in the big leagues, Rocchio has developed a penchant for supplying pivotal doses of power when the crisp autumn air arrives, earning the personas of “Rocctember,” “Rocctober,” and “Playoff Rocchio” from fans and teammates.

    “I think he’s just got the gene,” Guardians pitcher Slade Cecconi said.

    Rocchio yanked the tying grand slam over the fence in right field and clubbed the game-winner over the 19-foot wall in left. As he took off on his trot with teammates spilling out of the home dugout, he flung his bat as high as the U.S. Navy Blue Angels jets that spent the day zooming and twirling overhead, forcing catchers to re-enter their PitchCom selections.

    “That’s a big moment for me,” Rocchio said.

    Wild-Card Implications and Upcoming Schedule

    The day was full of such moments for the Guardians, who have left themselves little margin for error this month as they vie for one of two entryways into the October bracket. They are trying to stave off the Toronto Blue Jays, Baltimore Orioles, and Texas Rangers in the wild-card race. Cleveland does not own the tiebreaker against Toronto or Texas, and they head to Baltimore for a three-game set starting Monday. They also can still catch the White Sox, but they will need to conquer them at Progressive Field in a week and a half.

    All of that seemed flimsy throughout the day Friday, until four mighty swings from the two players who needed them most.

    “Good players step up,” Vogt said. “It doesn’t matter what you did yesterday. It doesn’t matter what you’ve been doing the last week, two weeks. All that matters is today.”

  • Guardians’ Young Talent Aims to Secure Postseason Berth

    Guardians’ Young Talent Aims to Secure Postseason Berth

    As the Cleveland Guardians enter the final month of the regular season, they remain in contention for a postseason berth for the third consecutive year. Their push toward October is being powered by the young-player development strategy the organization established during the offseason.

    Guardians executives repeatedly said last winter that they wanted to give the organization’s young talent an opportunity to make an impact at the Major League level. That approach was especially evident among the position players. After Cleveland’s disappointing 2025 offensive season, the club made few additions beyond signing first baseman Rhys Hoskins to a Minor League contract.

    The Guardians rank 28th in MLB with a .686 OPS, although their offense improved significantly in August, when they posted a .722 OPS. The additions of Adell and Lowe were logical moves, but Cleveland’s season has remained closely tied to the players the club expected to contribute from the start.

    Young players giving Cleveland a postseason chance

    Despite the team’s ups and downs and unexpected challenges, including an extended injured-list absence for superstar José Ramírez, Cleveland’s young players have helped keep its playoff hopes alive.

    Chase DeLauter deserves consideration in the American League Rookie of the Year voting. He has become a focal point of the lineup, recording 24 doubles and 13 home runs with an .819 OPS over 115 games. Those totals represent career highs at any level.

    Angel Martínez has established himself in the Guardians’ outfield mix, while Brayan Rocchio has taken over as Cleveland’s starting shortstop. Martínez has hit 13 home runs, and his .712 OPS in 94 games would be a career high. After missing five weeks through mid-July with a nondisplaced fracture in his left foot, he delivered a strong August, batting .324 with an .859 OPS in 22 games.

    Rocchio batted .276 with a .751 OPS in 94 games before the All-Star break. His role became particularly important after DeLauter, Martínez and Ramírez were injured on June 13. Since the break, however, Rocchio has hit .184 with a .483 OPS in 37 games.

    Infielder Angel Genao, ranked the Guardians’ No. 1 prospect and No. 29 overall by MLB Pipeline, and outfielder Petey Halpin are also part of a group of homegrown young players who make up nearly one-quarter of Cleveland’s active roster.

    Prospects still waiting for their opportunity

    The organization’s young-player group also includes several players who are not currently contributing at the Major League level.

    George Valera and CJ Kayfus helped the Guardians down the stretch last season. Valera was designated for assignment on June 14 before being outrighted to Columbus. Kayfus made Cleveland’s Opening Day roster but was optioned to Columbus on April 13. He underwent season-ending surgery on his right ankle on July 17.

    Juan Brito appeared in 15 games, including his MLB debut on April 7. Cleveland designated him for assignment on Aug. 3 and traded him to the Reds. Cooper Ingle received a seven-game introduction to the Majors after making his debut on June 26.

    The Guardians went 9-19 after the All-Star break before finishing August with a 9-3 run. Their postseason fate is now in their own hands. Cleveland’s September schedule features crucial series against fellow contenders, including the Blue Jays from Tuesday through Thursday, the Orioles from Sept. 7-9 and the White Sox from Sept. 14-16.

    The Guardians’ offseason outlook should become clearer in four weeks. For now, the players on the roster must lead Cleveland to the postseason.

    “We continue to be confident in the group of guys that are there,” Guardians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti said over the weekend. “We feel we’re capable of playing good baseball and running off a bunch of wins in a row, or at least winning more than our share.

    “… Hopefully our best baseball is still in front of us.”

  • Underachieving Teams That Could Become Playoff Dark Horses

    Underachieving Teams That Could Become Playoff Dark Horses

    Rarely has a Major League Baseball season been more forgiving to mediocre teams. According to FanGraphs projections entering Thursday, 18 teams had at least a 10% chance of reaching the playoffs, meaning 60% of the league remained meaningfully alive in the postseason race.

    Half the league — 15 teams — had at least a 30% playoff probability. Only the Brewers were on pace for 100 wins, while just six teams were projected to reach 90 victories, including only two American League clubs: the Rays and Yankees. Since 1998, an average of 8.2 teams have won at least 90 games in a full season.

    The American League is particularly wide open. Sub-.500 teams such as the Orioles, Twins and Mariners still had double-digit playoff chances entering Thursday.

    The more interesting question is not which fringe contenders are most likely to qualify. It is which underperforming teams could become the most dangerous if they reach the postseason in such a relatively flat year.

    Several traits can make a team more dangerous in October than during the regular season.

    What makes a team dangerous in the MLB playoffs?

    Top-end starting pitching

    In the playoffs, innings are concentrated around a team’s best pitchers. When the Diamondbacks won the World Series as a 92-win team in 2001, Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling accounted for 34.7% of Arizona’s regular-season innings but 58.2% of its postseason innings. The Dodgers followed a similar blueprint last year, although their postseason innings were spread more evenly across a group of starters.

    Strikeout-focused bullpens

    Relievers absorb an increasing share of postseason innings, and the best bullpen arms are used disproportionately in the highest-leverage situations.

    Strong playoff pitching also makes it difficult to string hits together, which increases the value of power. Each of the last 10 World Series champions finished above average in slugging percentage, and many ranked among the elite offensive teams.

    Among the fringe contenders, the following teams have underperformed so far but could have the greatest upside if they reach the postseason.

    Cleveland Guardians

    The Guardians’ regular-season record understates how dangerous their potential October roster could be.

    Cleveland has one of the stronger rotations among the fringe contenders. The rotation is tied for sixth in ERA at 3.74, tied for eighth in xERA at 3.96 and 11th in fWAR at 10.5.

    The rotation looks even stronger when its weakest links are removed, as could happen in October when added urgency and playoff off-days allow innings to be concentrated among the top arms.

    Entering Thursday, the Guardians ranked seventh in fWAR from their three best starting pitchers currently on the roster: Parker Messick, Gavin Williams and deadline acquisition Foster Griffin. Only the Phillies, Brewers, Dodgers, Yankees, Red Sox and Pirates ranked ahead of them.

    Lowe addresses first-base production. Adell addresses lacking power from the right side.

    This is a stronger group than it was before the trade deadline — and stronger than its record might suggest.

    Houston Astros

    The Astros have been in a gradual decline from their peak years last decade, but they could still do damage in October if they qualify.

    One major reason is an improving bullpen. Houston’s K-BB% by month was:

    • March/April: 6.9%
    • May: 10%
    • June: 17.6%
    • July: 20.7%
    • August: 18.8%

    July and August were well above-average marks. The trend makes sense because elite closer Josh Hader did not return to full health until June. Bryan Abreu has a 1.45 ERA in the second half compared with 5.81 in the first half, while Steven Okert has also been better after the All-Star break, posting a 1.93 ERA.

    As a pitching staff, the Astros rank 12th in strikeout rate at 22.7%. Staff ace Hunter Brown is also back leading the rotation after missing most of the first half.

    Houston has another trait that can matter in October: offensive star power.

    Triple Crown contender Yordan Alvarez, who has a 185 wRC+, can carry a team for stretches. His bat is a major reason the Astros are tied for seventh in season-long wRC+ at 104. Over the last 30 days, Houston ranks sixth in slugging percentage.

    Jeremy Peña is having an excellent season, while Isaac Paredes, Christian Walker and Jose Altuve remain average-to-above-average regulars.

    Seattle Mariners

    For a team that nearly reached the World Series a year ago, sitting six games below .500 with a minus-57 run differential as September approached was perhaps the most disappointing campaign in the majors to that point.

    In the 2026 American League, however, the Mariners still had a 41.1% chance of making the playoffs, according to FanGraphs. Their biggest problem was run production. After tying for the ninth-most runs in baseball a year earlier, Seattle had scored the fewest this season.

    The Mariners have also experienced poor offensive fortune. Their expected batting average, slugging percentage and wOBA are all better than their actual figures. They have posted an MLB-worst .272 batting average on balls in play.

    Cal Raleigh is the clearest example of that misfortune. He suffered a dramatic decline after finishing runner-up for the MVP award, but he may be emerging from a season-long slump.

    Over the last 30 days, three Mariners hitters ranked among baseball’s hottest performers. Raleigh was joined by Randy Arozarena, who had a 146 wRC+ and seven home runs during the month, and Josh Naylor, who had a 132 wRC+.

    If Seattle’s offense improves, its pitching can remain the foundation. The Mariners once again have one of baseball’s deepest and most talented rotations. In the postseason, an arm such as Bryce Miller could also become a bullpen weapon if his stuff plays up in shorter appearances.

    Baltimore Orioles

    As noted earlier, the Orioles have one of the stronger rotations among the contenders. Shane Baz has a 3.63 ERA and a 16% K-BB%, while Trevor Rogers has a 3.40 ERA. Both pitchers have performed much better in the second half than in the first.

    Baltimore ranks in the top 10 in wRC+ and home runs. Pete Alonso, the underperforming but talented Gunnar Henderson and 22-year-old Samuel Basallo provide offensive upside and power.

    The bullpen has been uneven, and Jackson Holliday has struggled. Still, this is an underperforming roster that could have significant upside if it plays closer to its true talent level. Baltimore could save its best baseball for last.

    Pittsburgh Pirates

    The Pirates are the longest shot on the list. They trail the Padres by 7 1/2 games for the final National League Wild Card spot and would need to pass three other teams to get there. FanGraphs gives Pittsburgh a 1% chance of making the playoffs.

    But if Pittsburgh produces a minor miracle, the Pirates could become a fascinating postseason team.

    After a concerning mult-week stretch, Paul Skenes’ velocity increased and his stuff and performance looked significantly better during six shutout innings Tuesday in San Diego. Pittsburgh has a pitching staff loaded with power arms, including Jared Jones, Braxton Ashcraft and Bubba Chandler.

    In the same game, Oneil Cruz, who had recently returned from the injured list, homered against elite San Diego closer Mason Miller. The home run showcased Cruz’s game-changing bat speed. An injury derailed his potential breakout season, but he remains a 30-30 talent now back in the lineup.

    Uber-prospect Konnor Griffin is ramping up his baseball activities and could return when eligible to come off the 60-day injured list on Sept. 4. He was a difference-maker as a 20-year-old before injuring his left ring finger.

    The Pirates are not a perfect team. Their defense is shaky, and too many members of their talented rotation have been inconsistent. However, Pittsburgh ranks sixth in pitcher strikeout rate at 24.1%, a trait that plays well in the postseason, and its offense still ranks fifth in runs scored.

    What happens if a team that has limped to a 65-71 record suddenly gets Skenes, Cruz, Griffin, Montgomery, Doval and Weaver contributing near their best?

    Pittsburgh is by far the least likely of these teams to reach the postseason. But if the Pirates earn a playoff spot, they may also have the largest gap between their regular-season record and their potential October ceiling.