Guardians 7, Astros 5: It’s Over

The streak ends

Hey, the Guardians won a baseball game today!

How, you might ask? Well, I’m glad you did.

The usual suspects had a big role to play, as Steven Kwan got the scoring started with an RBI single:

And Jose Ramirez hit a three-run home run in the top of the fifth

And, I said to myself, “why do I feel like Tanner Bibee isn’t going to be able to come out and put up a shutout response inning, even against the bottom of the Astros’ order?”

Reader, Bibee surrendered a three-run home run to Taylor Trammell who had not homered since May 16th... OF 2023!!!!!!!! Then, he gave up another home run to tie the game to Isaac Parades. Bad, but not embarrassing.

I want to confess something. I was incensed. It’s probably this darn losing streak that has me getting unreasonably angry at baseball players, but yesterday, I was infuriated that Bo Naylor failed to block a pitch he absolutely should have blocked, allowing the Tigers to tie the game, and, today, I was so mad I was gritting my teeth that Tanner Bibee - who had a no-hitter going through four! - had surrendered the rarest of things, a four-run lead for a Guardians’ pitcher. I know Bibee is working on a new pitch mix, a new delivery, and so on, and so forth. I know he is as hard on himself as anyone. Today... was inexcusable.

But, hey, it helps to have a solid bullpen. Matt Festa (playing the role of late-career Bryan Shaw for Stephen Vogt’s Tito impersonation) gave up a home run to Victor Caratini in an inning and a third, but Paul Sewald (increasing his trade value!), Hunter Gaddis and Emmanuel Clase locked it down from there.

To get back to the astounding offense, though, Brayan Rocchio, BRAYAN ROCCHIO OF ALL PEOPLE, put the Guardians back on top with a two-run double, on a two-strike pitch:

Rocchio had sacrifice bunted twice earlier, and it looks like he’s been working on his form there, but if he can double like that a little more often, I will have to become anti-Rocchio sac bunting! For now, though, it’s fine for him to sacrifice and to play good defense, which he has since returning. I am happy for him.

David Fry also managed to tack on an insurance run in the top of the 9th with a homer:

Perhaps the most intriguing moment of the night was seeing Austin Hedges come in and catch for Clase, relieving Bo of his duties for the night. Have to say that it’s not great to have to have a defensive replacement for your starting catcher, but it really makes sense and I cannot blame Clase if he asked for that. The team will never tell us, but my head canon is that Clase said, “If you want me to throw balls out of the zone, Hedges better be my catcher if he’s available.” And Vogt acquiesced. But, that’s just reckless speculation.

Everyone is happy tonight because the Guardians ended this ridiculous losing streak and actually scored some runs to do it. Hallelujah.

Oh, also, Nolan Jones had an awkward play running to second and “tweaked his ankle”, so Vogt said in postgame.

I suspect this means he will just sit for the next two days, and then they will put him on the IL, belatedly, because this is how they do. Aside from that, if Jones unfortunately had to go to the IL tonight, they assuredly would call up Petey Halpin, not Chase DeLauter because “Halpin can play centerfield” or some balogna like that.

Oh, right. I’m happy, I forgot. Yay, Guardians! You can win games!

I am happy, truly. Also, happy to see Jose break out of his little slump and get a homer and a double, and to see Bo respond to his bad game yesterday with a double and a single today, and, finally, to see that Hunter Gaddis seems to have righted himself from his rough June. It’ll be a little easier to go to sleep tonight, Guardians fans. Enjoy it!