Well, Game 162 is here after what was a tumultuous season for the Cleveland Guardians. The team is staring down an unlikely and unpredictable AL Central pennant. All they needed to do today was win and they would take the division.
Logan T. Allen got the Sunday start for Cleveland after the team clinched a playoff berth just last night. Cleveland got to scoring early with a two run first. Steven Kwan worked a lead off walk and Angel Martínez was hit by pitch. José Ramírez flied out to left, but that
allowed Kwan to advance to third. With Angel on second after a stolen base, Johnathan Rodríguez singled to score Kwan and Martínez.
Texas came right back in the top of the second. A double, fielders choice, and hit by pitch put runners on first and second. Alejandro Osuna, who already robbed José of a base hit in the first, smacked a double to score two and tie the game. In the third inning a lead off single and double had runners on second and third for the Texas Rangers. Jake Burger hit a single to right to put the Rangers up by two runs.
In the bottom of the third, Angel and José had back-to-back singles to lead off the inning. Angel reached third on José’s single, leaving second open for José to steal. With José‘s career high 42nd stolen base on the season and a walk from Johnathan Rodríguez, the bases were loaded with no outs. Bo Naylor hit a sac fly to score one run, bringing the Guards within one, but that is where the scoring would in.
LTA made it to the fifth inning, issuing two, one-out walks before manager Stephen Vogt turned to the bullpen. Allen finished the day having gone 4.1IP, 5H, 4R/ER, 2BB, and 4Ks. Matt Festa came in to replace Allen and hit the first batter to load the bases. A forceout and a strikeout retired the side to get out a potentially momentum shifting jam.
In the top of the sixth, Festa came back on the pitch and the Guardians defense had a bit of a meltdown. A lead off throwing error by Arias allowed the runner to reach second. A one-out sacrifice bunt scored the runner from second. The bunt fell in the infield in the triangle between first base, the pitchers mound, and home plate. Jhonkensy Noel was unable to field it cleanly, allowing the hitter to reach first and the runner to score. A stolen base had the runner in scoring position with only one out. A strikeout and a flyout got them out of the side, down by two again.
The Guards brought it back within one run in the bottom of the seventh. A solo home run off a side arm pitcher for Jhonkensy Noel brought back some life to the offense in the late innings.
Kolby Allard replaced Festa in the top of the seventh and came back out in the eighth. Allard faced the minimum six batters, striking out two on 25 pitches.
The Guards came back to tie it in the bottom of the eighth. Bo Naylor hit a lead off double and advanced to third on a long Manzardo double to right. Manzo’s hit fell just short, literally, of a home run. Petey Halpin came in to pinch run for Manzo. Rocchio hit a sac fly to score Bo, tying the game.
Zak Kent pitched the ninth, also facing the minimum to turn things over to the top of the order in hopes of a cherry on top walk off.
Unfortunately, Rowdy Tellez hates Cleveland. The Rangers sent it to extras against Cleveland, hanging on to the last threads of their season. Kent stayed in to pitch, giving up a lead off single. Rowdy Tellez smacked a three-run home run, scoring the ghost runner as well.
Its ok though. Brayan Rocchio continued his Rocctember legacy. Bo Naylor smacked a double to score the ghost runner, George Valera. Petey Halpin drew a walk. Then Rocchio, Brayan Rocchio, launched a home run to right field that bounced off the foul pole, staying as close to fair as physically possible.
How else would this end?
