On another hot day in Cleveland, the game today started as a pitchers’ duel. The Big Rig and Anthony Kay got off to blazing starts, and it was Anthony Kay who would blink first. After retiring the first 6 hitters in a row to start the game, Gabriel Arias and Austin Hedges would draw back to back walks to start the 3rd inning. Kwan would sacrifice them both to 3rd with a bunt, and an RBI single from Travis Bazzana would plate the first run of the game for the Guards. That would be all they got in the inning, as David Fry would ground into a double play.
Gavin Williams would get into a little trouble in the 4th, as the White Sox would get 2 runners on with only one out. He was able to work out of it with a strikeout and a weak grounder to end the inning. The Big Rig would get into trouble again in the 5th. After back to back singles and a sacrifice, the White Sox would get both runners into scoring position with only 1 out. Gavin got a weak ground ball that was unable to score the run from 3rd for the second out of the inning. Unfortunately the Big Rig wouldn’t be able to escape this jam. As the wind began to pick up and blow debris all around the field, and after a hard fought 10 pitch battle with Miguel Vargas, it would be Vargas who would emerge victorious, clobbering a 3 run homer down the left field line. Immediately after, the umpiring crew would call for the tarp, and we would head into a weather delay.
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Once we finally got back to action, both offenses would stay silent until the bottom half of the 7th inning. The Guards would get 2 runners on base with walks from Hoskins and Rocchio. Then with 2 outs, Austin Hedges would come through with an infield single on a ball in the hole between the SS and 3rd base, and Hoskins would score after the ball was booted a little bit by Colson Montgomery. Next, Steven Kwan would come to the plate with the score now 3-2. Kwan was able to get a soft liner down the left field line to drive in the tying run. That was all for the Guards in the 7th, as Bryan Hudson was able to strike out Travis Bazzana to end the inning.
After the Guardians tied the game, both Colin Holderman and Cade Smith would throw 1-2-3 8th and 9th innings. But despite getting a runner on base in each inning, the Guards couldn’t scratch a run across, and we were headed to extras.
The Guardians would send Erik Sabrowski out for the 10th. He would strike out the first two hitters and retire the last on a flyout to right field, preserving the 3-3 tie and giving the Guards offense a chance to win if they could get the free baserunner home in the bottom half of the inning. It was Travis Bazzana to lead it off with Steven Kwan on as the free baserunner. He would single on a hard ground ball to left, but the left fielder was playing in, so Kwan could only get to 3rd. It was down to Khalil Watson, who, with the infield in, smashed a ground ball right back up the middle. For the second night in a row, the Guardians would walk off the White Sox and take back sole possession of 1st place in the Central Division!
The Guards look to clinch a win in the 4 game series Saturday night at 7:10. It’ll be Parker Messick on the mound for the Guardians up against Sean Burke for the White Sox.
