Guards get back on good foot with series win vs. SF

The Guardians split the final two games of the Giants series, losing the middle game, 1-0, and winning the finale in an Aug. 19 matinee, 5-2.

When it was all said and done, the Guardians had won the series from the Giants and improved to 62-66.

Gavin Williams picked up the win in the Aug. 19 game. The hard-throwing right-hander struck out 11 over 5 2/3 innings while allowing two runs and four hits and walking four. Cade Smith pitched a scoreless ninth inning to pick up his 32nd save.

The win came less than a day after the Guardians lost a 1-0 heartbreaker to the Giants on Aug. 18.

That loss had more than a few experts ready to write the Guardians off for 2026.

It was Cleveland's second shutout loss in three games and the 12th time Cleveland had been shut out in 2026. Adding to the misery, it dropped the Guardians to 30-34 at home.

It also wasted a superb starting effort by left-handed rookie Parker Messick, who struck out 10 and allowed just a single run in 6 2/3 innings of work. 

Cleveland just could not come up with a key hit. Steven Kwan walked to lead off the eighth inning and advanced as far as second, but neither Jose Ramirez, Angel Martinez, nor Nathaniel Lowe could drive home the run. 

But the matinee was a different affair. The Guardians scored three in the first inning and made it hold up thanks to an airtight performance by the bullpen.

Steven Kwan continued his hot second-half with three walks and an RBI-single. He also scored a run. Patrick Bailey had two hits and drove in a run for the Cleveland offense. 

Williams' 11 whiffs gave him 201 for the season over 154 2/3 innings, covering 26 starts. It makes him the first Cleveland pitcher with 200 strikeouts or more since Shane Bieber struck out 259 in 214 1/3 innings in 2014.

So Cleveland heads out west in third place, 4 1/2 games behind AL Central-leading Chicago (66-61), which lost to Atlanta 2-0 at around the same time Cleveland was winning the finale of the Giants series.

Minnesota (63-65) is second; Detroit (61-66) is fourth,, and Kansas City (55-74) is in last place but has won six of its last 10.

Cleveland travels to Colorado to take on the woeful Rockies (50-77) for three games over the weekend.


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