Guards survive meltdown in Chi-Town; Seattle up next

 The Guardians enter tonight’s June 26 game at home with Seattle tied for first place with the White Sox.

They took a scary route to get there. Cleveland prevailed over the White Sox 4-3 in 10 innings on June 24. But to secure the win, they watched in horror as its shutdown closer Cade Smith gave up back-to-back two-out solo home runs in the bottom of the ninth, allowing the White Sox to tie the contest at 3.
Smith had saved 22 games in a row before he blew up against the White Sox.
Shawn Armstrong came on to record the final out of the ninth to restore sanity. Armstrong would pitch the 10th inning and pick up the win.
Kahllil Watson, a recent minor league call-up who has become the second coming of Reggie Jackson since his arrival, drove in the go-ahead run in the top of the 10th inning. Watson collected two hits and drove in three runs to lead Cleveland’s offense. He provided an offensive spark the entire Chicago series as he went 5-for-9 with a home run and drove in 10 runs.
“I think I’ll forever remember Chicago,” Watson said to MLB.com after the win.
The Guardians picked up Watson in August of 2023 in a trade in which Cleveland dealt away power-hitting first baseman Josh Bell. That trade, in which Cleveland also acquired shortstop Jean Segura, signaled the Guardians were pulling the plug on the 2023 season, a season in which they were expected to contend for a playoff spot and maybe more. It turned out to be Tito Francona’s final season in Cleveland.
Watson’s offensive explosion was heavily needed. Since Jose Ramierez, Chase DeLauter, and Angel Martinez all went on the injured list earlier this month - the trio had been Cleveland's most productive hitters - the Guardians offense has been nearly non-existent.
The win allowed Cleveland to avoid a sweep by the White Sox. Chicago won 6-5 on June 22 and then 2-1 on June 23. Cleveland concluded a three-city nine-game road trip to Milwaukee, Houston, and Chicago, which saw it go 3-6. Cleveland (42-39) and Chicago (41-38) are tied for first in the AL Central.
Cleveland opens a 10-game homestand tonight with the contest vs. Seattle. Texas and the White Sox follow Seattle to town. The White Sox series, a four-gamer, falls during the July 4 weekend. It runs from July 2 through July 5.

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