I knew this day would come, I was just hoping it wouldn’t come this soon. This is the final issue of “Three Positives” for the 2025 season.
Took It to Three
While the first game of the Wild Card series was… not great, the Guardians came back full force in Game Two. It was a very close game, tied until the eighth inning. However, the Guards broke it open in the bottom of the eighth, starting with a Brayan Rocchio home run to take the lead. This was followed by an RBI double by Daniel Schneeman and a three-run home run by Bo
Naylor to put the game away. While they couldn’t end up closing out the series, they sure fought hard and didn’t let the Tigers walk all over them.
Pitching Staff on a Tear
Aside from the final game of the series, the Guardians’ pitching staff all but silenced the Tigers’ bats. Gavin Williams went six innings in the series opener, giving up two unearned runs on five hits while striking out eight. In game two, Tanner Bibee gave up one run on five hits and struck out six. Five relievers made appearances in the final 4.1 innings, preventing any other Tigers from scoring. Slade Cecconi was on a short leash in the series finale, only going 2.1 innings and giving up one run. The bullpen picked him up for a bit with Joey Cantillo highlighting the afternoon. While the middle relievers (Erik Sabrowski and Hunter Gaddis) could not keep the game within reach, the entire pitching staff ultimately did a fantastic job and should be appreciated.
Build Rocchio Statue Now
Rocctober made an appearance once more this season, giving the Guardians the win in game two. In nine at-bats throughout the postseason, he hit .222/.222/.556 with two hits, a home run, and five total bases. While he did make one error in the series, his defensive performance was ultimately very successful. He’s come a long way since his first appearance with this team, and if he can continue to get consistent playing time, I think he will be a vital part of this team in 2026.
