CLEVELAND — On July 4, after the Guardians misplaced for the eighth time throughout their 10-game skid, gamers lingered within the dugout at Progressive Subject and stared out on the scene of the Tigers’ celebratory handshake line.
The Guardians’ season had hit a brand new low level, however Slade Cecconi declared that they might channel the robust instances into one thing nice.
“I am actually trying ahead to the tip of the season after we look again at this eight-game skid and go, ‘Man, bear in mind, bear in mind how robust that was?’” Cecconi mentioned that night time. “‘Bear in mind how we received by it? Bear in mind how we trusted one another? Bear in mind how we confirmed up the identical day by day and simply stored working?’
“It is going to repay. We will see ourselves in an awesome spot on the finish of the season. I totally imagine that.”
All they did was make baseball historical past. With the Tigers’ 4-3 loss to the Purple Sox on Sunday, the Guardians clinched the American League Central for a second straight season and thirteenth in franchise historical past, bookending maybe the best in-season comeback in baseball historical past. Then they began the occasion when Brayan Rocchio hit a walk-off three-run homer within the tenth inning for a 9-8 win over the Rangers.
The Guardians will host a well-recognized foe within the Tigers at Progressive Subject within the best-of-three Wild Card Collection that kicks off on Tuesday.
Cleveland was as many as 15 1/2 video games behind Detroit for first place within the AL Central, as lately because the morning of July 9. In response to the Elias Sports activities Bureau, that’s the largest deficit a group has overcome to complete first in its division (since 1969) or league (pre-1969). The 1914 Braves (15 video games again) beforehand held the document.
The Guardians have been as many as 11 video games behind Detroit this month, on the morning of Sept. 5. That’s the largest September deficit overcome to win a division (since 1969) or league (pre-1969), surpassing the 8 1/2-game deficit erased by the ’64 Cardinals. Cleveland received 17 of 19 from Sept. 5-24.
“To win the division after every thing we have been by … and we did it with a win, it simply solidifies that these guys earned each little bit of it,” supervisor Stephen Vogt mentioned. “It wasn’t given. Nothing that these guys have achieved all 12 months has been given.
“They’ve gone out and earned each single little bit of it, and I could not be extra pleased with them.”
The Guardians turned simply the fourth group to achieve the postseason in a season through which they’d a 10-game skid. They overcame adversity comparable to watching nearer Emmanuel Clase and starter Luis Ortiz happening non-disciplinary paid depart in July on account of MLB investigations. The identical month, ace Shane Bieber was dealt on the Commerce Deadline.
However these inside the house clubhouse at Progressive Subject by no means gave in and maintained their perception they might do the unattainable.
“I do not assume anyone ever misplaced the imaginative and prescient of the place we have been attempting to go this 12 months, even at our darkest level within the season,” Cecconi mentioned Sunday morning. “It is actually cool to see it come full circle.”
The Guardians clinched a postseason berth on Saturday and celebrated afterward, however to them, the job was not completed. They needed to play the Wild Card Collection at their park, in entrance of their followers. They needed to clinch the division and never accomplish that completely on account of a Tigers loss.
After all, gamers and coaches celebrated within the eighth inning on Sunday, after they discovered they have been AL Central champs as a full of life crowd of 31,054 abruptly started to cheer loudly, reacting to Detroit’s loss.
“We needed to do it for the followers,” catcher Austin Hedges mentioned. “All these followers have been exhibiting up all 12 months. … For them to come back out, they need to see us actually win the division.”
Rowdy Tellez’s three-run homer within the prime of the tenth threatened that objective, however Rocchio stepped up within the backside of the inning and crushed a 95.6 mph four-seamer from Jose Corniell off the right-field foul pole.
“It was unbelievable,” Rocchio mentioned by group interpreter Agustin Rivero. “Not solely due to the homer and the walk-off, however figuring out that we needed to win the division the correct method. We knew we had it at that time, however successful the sport was actually necessary for us.”
Rocchio being the one to ship the large swing was a becoming strategy to put a bow on the regular-season slate. The 24-year-old was a Gold Glove finalist at shortstop final 12 months, had a giant postseason and earned Cleveland’s Opening Day shortstop job this 12 months. After a tough begin offensively to 2025, the Guardians optioned him to Triple-A Columbus on Could 12.
They recalled Rocchio on July 1 and moved him to second base, the place he has performed sturdy protection alongside shortstop Gabriel Arias. As his numbers earlier than the All-Star break (.530 OPS) and afterward (.689) present, Rocchio has continued to work to get higher.
“For him to hit that walk-off, it is tremendous emblematic of our season in that we by no means give up,” Vogt mentioned. “Each step, each setback is a chance to get higher, and Rocchio embodies that higher than anyone.”
Progressive Subject popped when that ball left Rocchio’s bat. The ballpark has had a playoff ambiance all week, because the Guardians have pushed for the postseason. Now that it’s right here, they’ll’t wait to get in entrance of their followers and hold this run going.
“The cool factor is it is felt like playoff baseball,” Hedges mentioned, “but it surely nonetheless would not come near what this fan base can do truly within the playoffs. The noise they’re about to make, I hold telling a few of these rookies, ‘You have not seen something but.’”
