On Sunday of this week, the Cleveland Guardians finished their series sweep against the Minnesota Twins, and then, on Thursday, they finished another series sweep against the New York Mets to notch their sixth win in a row. Cleveland has been leading the American League Central division for almost the entire season. They fell to second place for only six games earlier in the year. Their latest sweeps have showcased their dominance and poise in high-pressure situations. Not all games were “pretty,” and a few errors almost cost them some wins, but they persevered to come out on top. The Cleveland Guardians currently have a record of 33-17.
Although the Guardians are without Steven Kwan, their hits have kept coming. Most nights, Tyler Freeman takes over as the leadoff hitter instead of Kwan. Freeman had eight hits in 23 at-bats in these last two series, giving him a batting average of .347. He also had seven runs, three doubles, and four RBIs. Half of Freeman’s hits happened in the same game when the Guardians beat the Twins 11-4; he had four hits, three RBIs, and three runs.
Andrés Giménez was right behind Freeman in both batting position and in hits. Giménez has seven hits in 23 at-bats for a .304 batting average in his last six games. He also notched two home runs, five runs, and seven RBIs. One of his home runs happened in the second game against the Mets when the Guardians were down 0-3. Giménez stepped up to the plate and delivered a three-run home run to tie the game. This became the game’s pivotal moment as the Guardians went on to win 6-3 after being behind by three.
When talking about Cleveland baseball, it’s impossible not to mention José Ramírez. In these past six games, he had eight hits in 25 at-bats (.320). He also hit three home runs, three doubles, and eight RBIs. Some other names that need to be mentioned are Johnathan Rodríguez and Will Brennan.
Rodríguez has only played two MLB games so far. His second game was the Guardians’ final game against the Mets this past series. His first hit and first RBI proved crucial to Cleveland winning that game. The teams were tied 3-3 from Giménez’s home run when Rodríguez sent David Fry home to go up 4-3.
Will Brennan had a massive moment in game three of the series against the Minnesota Twins. They were tied 2-2 in the bottom of the 9th inning, and the Twins intentionally walked Josh Naylor, who had two outs on the board. Brennan stepped up to the plate and hit the ball deep into right field for a three-run walk-off homerun, winning the game 5-2 for Cleveland.
The pitchers also played a large part in the Guardians’ recent success. Emmanuel Clase came in to close four out of the last six games. He had three saves and gave up one run and one hit. Logan Allen and Tanner Bibee had the two best starts in the past two series. In the second game against the Twins, Allen pitched six innings and gave up five hits but no runs. He struck out seven, walked one, and finished with a 4.91 ERA. Bibee pitched in the final game against the Twins. He pitched seven innings and gave up four hits and one home run. He also struck out eight, walked one, and finished with a 3.93 ERA.
Can the Cleveland Guardians keep this hot streak alive? It’s a good possibility. Their next game will be on Friday, May 24, against the Los Angeles Angels. They have a record of 20-30 and are sitting second to last in the American League West division. While the statistics show that Cleveland is a better team, LA can’t be counted out. The Angels have won their last two series against the Houston Astros (2-1) and the Texas Rangers (2-1). Logan Allen is slated to start the pitching for Cleveland, and Patrick Sandoval will be the starter for the Angels. Los Angeles has been playing without their star center-fielder Mike Trout, who had surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee.
The first two games in this next series will be late starts. Both games will start at 9:38 PM EST, so keep the coffee pot ready. Sunday’s game begins at 4:07 PM EST.
