Chappie's Grave

 The Guardians welcomed back Chase DeLauter to the lineup and then used a five-run eighth inning rally as they posted a stunning 6-5 win over the Seattle Mariners on Sunday. It was the Guardians’ second-straight win and, coupled with a Chicago loss, allowed Cleveland to move back into a tie for first place in the American League Central. And it was unlikely a win as you’ll see. Cleveland looked sloppy on offense and again sluggish offensively as they fell behind by scores of 3-0 and 4-1 before sending 10 men to the plate in the five-run eighth inning. DeLauter’s two-run single in the rally tied the game at 4. He then came around to score what turned out to be the winning run on a two-run pinch-hit double off the bat of Rhys Hoskins. Cleveland, which improved to 44-40 with the win, has not been a team prone to late-inning magic in 2026. Entering Sunday, the Guardians were just 2-33 in 2026 when trailing after seven innings. That’s why the win felt so huge. “I think today was as big ...

 Guardians Manager Stephen Vogt has tried all kinds of lineup configurations and ran an assortment of players in and out of said lineup in hopes of jump-starting an offense that’s been slumbering for much of the 2026 campaign. The task took on a different level of difficulty earlier this month when the team’s three best hitters - Jose Ramirez, Chase DeLauter, and Angel Martinez - all were lost to injuries during a span of a few innings in a  June 13 win over the Detroit Tigers. Cleveland continues to remain in contention, somehow. But make no mistake, this is not a team that has been trending upward. Entering last night’s game against Seattle, the Guardians had lost 7 of 10, 13 of their last 20, and 18 of their last 30. Another 30-game stretch like that and first place, where Cleveland has resided for much of the year, will be a far-off place in a distant world. Making matters worse, entering the Saturday night contest with Seattle, Chicago had already beaten Kansas City 2-1 t...

 So much for the momentum generated by the extra-inning over Chicago. The Guardians' offense continued to hibernate, and Cleveland continued to squander strong starting pitching efforts in a 3-1 loss to the Seattle Mariners on June 26. Kahlil Watson's RBI double in the first inning plated Cleveland's only run. Seattle pitchers limited the Guardians' punchless lineup to just four hits in total. Luis Castillo picked up the in allowing just four hits and a run while striking out four. Joey Cantillo started for Cleveland and allowed one run on two hits over six innings while striking out nine. The run came with personal significance and sent an emotional jolt through the staff at Chappie's Grave. It came off the bat of Seattle rookie shortstop Chase Emerson. Emerson during his first at-bat in the third inning, turned on a Cantillo change-up and hit a rope just over the right field wall for a home run.   Emerson graduated from John Glenn High School and was a first-round...

 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 ...

The Windy City turned into Heartbreak City for the Guardians on June 22 as the White Sox rallied for 2 runs in the bottom of the ninth inning in a 6-5 loss for Cleveland. Cleveland’s stopper Cade Smith could not get the final three outs as Cleveland lost its second straight game and the first of a three-game showdown between the AL Central’s best teams. The Guardians lost the final game of a 3-games series with Houston, 2-1, on June 21. Cleveland rallied from 3-0 and 4-3 deficits only to get walked off in the bottom of the ninth inning on a two-run single off Chicago left fielder Sam Antonacci in the loss to the White Sox. Cleveland dropped to 41-38 with the loss while Chicago improved to 40-37. In the highly anticipated showdown for first place, a smallish crowd of 23,151 showed up to watch the contest. The teams are tied for the division lead. Cade Smith dropped 2-1 with the loss. Gavin Williams started for the Guardians and allowed two earned runs over five innings on five hits whil...

 The Guardians got it going early thanks to Travis Bazzana. Bazzana, the rookie sensation and 2024 overall No. 1 pick in the draft, led off the game with a first-pitch homer to key an 8-1 Cleveland win in Houston on June 20. Bazzana would add a three-run homer in the seventh as part of a four-hit, five-RBI masterpiece of hitting. He got help. Kyle Manzardo’s 3-homer in the third inning snapped a 1-1 tie and rocketed Cleveland to the win. Joey Cantillo shut down Houston’s bats. A night after they scored nine runs in a 9-3 win, Cantillo limited Houston to just one run over eight innings while striking out nine and scattering four hits. The loss ended Houston’s modest three-game winning streak. Even better news: the White Sox lost in Detroit to the Tigers, 4-2. Cleveland (41-36) takes over sole possession of first place in the AL as we head into the longest day of the year.

 Bad news and good news. The bad news is the Guardians got whipped by the Houston Astros 9-3 on June 19. The good news? The White Sox (39-35) lost to Detroit, 4-3, so the Guardians (40-36) and the White Sox remain tied for first place. Tanner Bibee could not get his third straight win, and Matt Festa gave up a game-changing home run as the Guardians failed to hold on to a 3-1 lead. Rhys Hoskins hit a 2-run homer and Brayan Rocchio collected an RBI, but the offensive struggles continued The staff at Chappie's Grave did not watch or listen to a pitch of the contest. It's noted that Houston all-star second baseman Jose Altuve tortured Cleveland pitching with a homer and double and four RBI. His 3-run home run off of Festa in the sixth gave Houston a 4-3 lead, and the Astros cruised from there. Jeremy Pena hit a pair of homers for Houston, which improved to 36-41 on the season. Tatsya Imai dominated the listless Cleveland lineup. He struck out 11 and allowed three runs in six innin...