The Cleveland Guardians secured on Thursday their third consecutive postseason ticket and the 19th in franchise history, after beating the Boston Red Sox 1‑0 at Fenway Park.
The victory, with a comeback in the final minutes, sealed another in the final stretch for Cleveland, which again demonstrated its ability to bounce back after going through one of its toughest stretches of the season.
Season Situation
Cleveland arrived on Thursday with a record of 83‑76 and a one‑game lead over the Chicago White Sox, who have a mark of 82‑77.
The team is still fighting to capture the American League Central Division for a third consecutive year.
Path to the Postseason
The road to the postseason was not easy. Cleveland entered the All‑Star Game with a mark of 51‑46 and tied with Chicago for first place in the division, but then went through a 10‑20 slump that dropped them to 61‑66 and 5.5 games back of the lead.
The reaction began on August 20. Since then, the Guardians have arrived on Thursday with a 21‑10 record, tied with Milwaukee for the best mark in the Major Leagues during that span.
Team Strengths
The starting rotation has been one of the team’s main strengths. Cleveland is the only MLB club with four pitchers who have made at least 30 starts this season.
The offense also saw a notable improvement after the August 3 trade deadline, when the Guardians acquired Jo Adell and Nathaniel Lowe to bolster their lineup. Since August 4, Cleveland has averaged 4.58 runs per game, the third‑best figure in the American League.
Young talent has also been decisive. Left‑hander Parker Messick has become an important piece of the rotation, while Chase DeLauter and Travis Bazzana have contributed to the lineup. Dominican Ángel Martínez leads the team with 18 home runs, while Venezuelan Brayan Rocchio tops Cleveland with 70 RBIs.
Battle for the Central Division
Although they have already secured their spot in October, the Guardians still have goals pending. To capture the Central Division they will need to finish with a better record than the White Sox, as Chicago holds the tiebreaker after winning the season series.
Cleveland will play its final three games on the road against Kansas City, while Chicago will host Colorado. The division title would give the Guardians a direct pass to the second round of the playoffs and a matchup in the American League Division Series against the White Sox, Astros or Rangers.
With the October ticket secured, Cleveland will face the end of the campaign with the possibility of completing another memorable comeback and reclaiming the top of its division.
Source credits: deultimominuto.com
