In a 162-game season, it’s hard to point to precise moments that defined a baseball team’s rise or fall – but that’s not going to stop us from trying.
As we prepare for the Guardians to take on whoever emerges from the matchup of the Astros vs. the White Sox, let’s take a quick look back at six wins that proved absolutely crucial for the taking of their third straight AL Central title:
Wednesday, April 1st – Guardians 3, Dodgers 1
Gabriel Arias and Jose Ramirez both hit two-run homers and Gavin Williams struck-out 10 Dodgers in seven innings.
The only run for the Dodgers came off a 9th inning Freddie Freeman bomb off of Cade Smith. This win secured the series win for the Guardians in L.A., meaning they would have a successful early road trip on the West Coast, after the Guardians split their season-opening series in Seattle. There was so much more of the season to be played, but in terms of this team establishing an identity that “We are good”, I believe being able to fall back on a series win over the reigning world champ and bank some early road wins turned out to be pivotal.
Wednesday, May 20th – Guardians 3, Tigers 1 (in 10 innings)
It was assumed entering 2026 that the Guardians’ primary competition for the AL Central crown would be the Detroit Tigers who signed Framber Valdez and elected not to trade ace Tarik Skubal in the offseason. However, the Guardians opened up the season with a four-game sweep of the Tigers, including this third win of the series in extra innings. Tanner Bibee allowed one run in eight innings of work and Erik Sabrowski, Colin Holderman and Cade Smith kept the Tigers off the board. Daniel Schneemann and Travis Bazzana singled in the top of the 9th, as the Guardians were down 1-0, and Steven Kwan in the middle of terrible early-season struggles, laid down a sacrifice bunt, allowing Patrick Bailey to drive in Schneemann with a groundout. That was all it took to get the game to extras where an Angel Martinez triple and Jose Ramirez double gave them the lead that Smith needed to close the door. The Guardians would go 10-3 against the Tigers in 2026, the difference between 1st and 3rd place in the Central.
Wednesday, June 24th – Guardians 4, White Sox 3
Everyone should remember, with horror, June 13th, the game where Chase DeLauter broke a rib, Angel Martinez broke a foot, and Jose Ramirez broke a hamate bone. By the 24th of the same month, the Guardians were flailing just to keep their heads above water, especially against the upstart White Sox who had taken the first two games of this series from Cleveland. Things were going very well with the Guardians up 3-1 and another clutch outing from Bibee who went six scoreless. But, the White Sox showed their mettle by scoring off of Erik Sabrowski in the 7th and then TYING the game in the 9th with two home runs off the normally untouchable Cade Smith. Somehow, the Guardians picked themselves up off the mat with a clutch RBI single from Kahlil Watson, of all people, and then a shutdown bottom of the 10th inning from Shawn Armstrong, also of all people. Every win against the White Sox proved crucial, and this win showed how the team got contributions from the breadth and width of their roster to finally triumph. The Guardians would head out of this game and win their first series post-Jose injury over the Mariners.
Thursday, July 2nd – Guardians 6, White Sox 5
Slade Cecconi had a bad day on his way out of the rotation surrendering five runs in five innings, but then turned it over to a Guardians’ bullpen B-team that refused to give up a run. One and two-thirds scoreless from DANIEL ESPINO (BACK FROM THE SHOULDER DEAD!), one and a third scoreless from Shawn Armstrong, and one clean inning from Tim Herrin. Travis Bazzana went two for three with a walk, driving in two with a double, and David Fry hit a homer to bring the game within one run headed into the ninth. And, that, my friends, is where who else but Brayan Rocchio stepped up against Grant Taylor (who is an excellent reliever) and delivered a two-run homer to walk it off (scoring Daniel Schneemann who had pinch-run for Rhys Hoskins after Hoskins delivered a 9th inning walk). All of this seems pretty wild in hindsight, but every win against the White Sox was desperately needed for the journey on which the 2026 regular season would take the Guardians.
Wednesday, August 26th – Guardians 4, Angels 3
After numerous disappointing series in August, the Guardians finally got into the easy part of their schedule, and, coming into this game, had taken five straight from the hapless Rockies and Angels. They needed to sweep this series. Too many earlier contests had slipped through their fingers to not find a way to sweep the six against two of the worst teams in MLB. Unfortunately, the Angels jumped out to a 3-0 lead on Joey Cantillo, but Cantillo buckled down and found a way to deliver four shutout innings to end his six inning stint, striking out seven. Meanwhile, the Guardians’ offense clawed back with one run in the fifth, one in the eighth and two in the ninth, keyed by a double from the resurgent Steven Kwan and the go-ahead sacrifice fly from Travis Bazzana. These are the regular, everyday wins in a baseball season that can slip through the cracks. But, when you take care of business, you eventually reap the rewards.
Wednesday, September 16th – Guardians 6, White Sox 3
Obviously, you could choose September 15th’s Brayan Rocchio walk-off as the key win in September, but given that it was highly aided by a very poor defensive play from Sam Antonacci, I am going to go with the following day’s heroics, led by Petey Halpin. Parker Messick won this game, and he certainly deserves a shoutout since his consistent excellence all season was absolutely determinative for the Guardians makine the playoffs. Unfortunately, Tommy Pham convinced White Sox GM to give him a roster spot in an elevator and Pham hit a hanger from Messick into the bleachers for a three-run homer that had the White Sox up 3-2. But, then, with two outs and two on (David Fry and Austin Hedges via walks) in the sixth, Petey Halpin crushed a pitch from a tough lefty in Sean Newcomb for an unexpected three-run homer of his own. After a Jose RBI double, Hunter Gaddis, Erik Sabrowski and Cade Smith slammed the door shut on the White Sox for three scoreless innings. Though the Guardians lost the season series to the White Sox by one game, this game was the one that gave Cleveland a chance to complete the comeback and win the Central the final week of the season.
What are some other games that stand out to you ask key in the 2026 season for the Guardians? Which will stand out in your memory of another special season resulting in October baseball? Tell us in the comments below
