The final series of the current season gets underway this Friday when the Guardians square off with the Houston Astros. Just trailing the New York Yankees for the best spot in the American League, the Guardians have garnered a record of 92-67. Fortunately for them, both the Yankees (93-66) and the Guardians have solidified their positions as the top two seeds. This guarantees them prime home field advantage in the ALDS, bypassing the Wild Card Series, which commences on October 5th.
Despite a late rally in the final inning against the Astros, the Guardians were defeated. A bottom of the ninth resurgence started with David Fry stepping up to the plate with two of his teammates on base. He proceeded to land a double down the left alley, allowing Josh Naylor to score, bringing the scoreline to 5-1 and marking the Guardians’ first run against Josh Hader.
Jhonkensy Noel then went down swinging for the initial out of the inning. Angel Martinez grounded towards Jose Altuve who impressively dealt with the situation and got another run on board. Nevertheless, that play led to the second out of the inning. The game was concluded when Brayan Rocchio sent a fly ball towards center field for the last out, with the game ending 5-2. This result takes the Yankees one step closer to securing their coveted No. 1 seed in the AL.
In the final phase of the game, the Guardians found it tough to find a run off Kyle Manzardo and Jose Ramirez who unfortunately struck out. Spencer Arrighetti of the Astros had considerable trouble in the eighth as he loaded the bases on walks. His struggles concluded his time on the mound, and the Astros took him off.
Jose Ramirez showed potential of adding to his tally of 39 home runs but narrowly missed. Two more would mark him as the seventh player to achieve a 40-homer, 40-steals season. Alas, he remains two shy of the mark, and the Guardians still trail 5-0.
Will Brennan finally broke Astros’ Ronel Blanco’s no-hit bid in the fifth inning. A lone single served as the spark the Guardians needed to end Blanco’s dominant run. Meanwhile, the Astros amplified their lead when Victor Caratini and Zach Dezenzo delivered consecutive home runs off Eli Morgan.
Astros’ leader Ronel Blanco had been showcasing a near-perfect game until the fourth inning. He only allowed one walk to Jose Ramirez while keeping the Guardians handcuffed with zero hits. Coming into the game, the Guardians needed to find a way to generate some offense while down 3-0 despite the rain.
During the fourth inning, Astros extended their lead. Thanks to Jose Altuve’s double, two runners were left in scoring positions. An unfortunate error by Joey Cantillo gave Astros another run, alongside Kyle Tucker’s single securing a 3-0 lead for Astros.
Stephen Vogt, the manager, emphasized that Jose Ramirez’s attempt to bag a 40/40 season (home runs and steals) and become the seventh player to reach this milestone hadn’t affected his strategy at the plate. He had also been aiming to record another ’40’ for doubles, a record only matched previously by one other player.
The game began with Jose Altuve putting his mark on the game with an initial inning double. Later in the inning, Alex Bregman powered a sacrifice fly to right field, paving the way for Altuve to secure the game’s first point for the Astros.
The Guardians’ hard work this season paid off, as they not only confirmed their position in the playoffs but also bagged the American League Central title. The city of Cleveland will see all three major sports teams participate in postseason games for the first time since 1995.
Guardian players have advocated for Emmanuel Clase for the Cy Young Award, an accolade last won by a relief pitcher nearly two decades ago. At the same time, Lane Thomas has been showing promising signs while finding his groove with the team.
Sam Hentges’ season ended prematurely due to a shoulder surgery. The operation puts his future performances at risk. Meanwhile, Jose Ramirez created history by becoming the first player in the Cleveland franchise history to achieve multiple 30/30 seasons.
Jhonkensy Noel has become a standout performer this year, thanks to adjusting his approach and striving for better contact and mobility, which has led to an impressive rookie season. The Guardians also inducted CC Sabathia into the team’s Hall of Fame, offering a memorable message to the fans.
Travis Bazzana, the Guardian’s first overall draft pick, finally realized the magnitude of his achievement after meeting his team’s star player, Jose Ramirez. The reality of the moment definitely hit home for Bazzana as he stepped foot onto Progressive Field.
The wrap up of the regular season for the Guardians will be against the Reds later this week before they play a weekend series with the Houston Astros.