Guardians clinch spot in playoffs



The Guardians are going to the playoffs. Cade Smith struck out the side in the ninth inning to rack up his 41st save, and Cleveland held on for a 1-0 win over Boston at Fenway Park on Sept. 24th.
Angel Martinez hit a home run around Pesky Pole in right field for the only run of the night. Cleveland leads the American League Central by a game over Chicago. The winner of the Division will get a bye to the Division Series.
Cleveland has played three 1-0 games since Sunday as it clinched its third straight playoff spot.
With the win, Cleveland improved to 83-76. The Guardians have gone on a tear since dropping to 60-65 after losing a Sunday game at home to San Diego on Aug. 16. Since then, they’ve gone 23-11 and have won seven of their past eight.
Smith struck out the side to record the save and clinch the playoff spot for Cleveland.
The White Sox beat Kansas City earlier in the day to lock up a  playoff spot.
Cleveland got great pitching from Opener Daniel Espino and bulk reliever Joey Cantillo. Cantillo, the lefty, has become the second coming of Randy Johnson in his new role of long relief. In his last three appearances, he has gone 15 innings without allowing a run and striking out 17. Last night he went five scoreless innings against Boston.
Hunter Gaddis, Erik Sabrowski and Smith finished the game out for Cleveland.
Cleveland won 2-out-3 vs. Boston in the three-game series at historic Fenway. They won the first game on Tuesday night, 3-2, with Smith getting the save in that game.
Nathaniel Lowe came in off the bench and hit a pinch-hit sac fly to left to drive in the winning run in the form of rookie Chase DeLauter, who was hit by a pitch to start the frame. DeLauter moved to third on a single to right field off the bat of Jo Adell.
Angel Genoa made an outstanding putout from second base at first base to end the game. Leading by a single run and with the tying run on second base, Smith induced Boston’s Nick Sogard to hit what looked off the bat like a routine ground ball. It turned into something different when Lowe, who was now playing first base, slipped down while going to field the ball. Genoa cut over from second base and scooped up the grounder and raced to the bag to nip Sogard for the final out.
It was a scintilating defensive play and displayed in full the athleticism of Genoa.
Cleveland improved to 82-75 with the win and remained a game ahead of the White Sox, who on this day beat Kansas City, 14-11.
On Sept. 23rd, the Guardians lost on the road to Boston, 1-0. It was the 16th time this season they were shut out in a loss, and it was the third time they lost by a score of 1-0.
Sonny Gray, a cagey old right-hander who used to play with Guardians manager Stephen Vogt, scattered four hits in six innings, and the Boston’s bullpen shutdown Cleveland after that. That included the ninth when the ancient Aroldis Chapman got Cleveland in order and had Cleveland radio play-by-play man Tom Hamilton calling Chapman “unhittable”.
That game had a playoff feel. It was played in fall-like temps of 57 degrees in New England in historic Fenway in front of a sellout crowd of 36,3660.
Cleveland now plays Kansas City three times this weekend, beginning tonight when Gavin Williams takes the hill.

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