CLEVELAND — If the Cleveland Guardians nudge their way into the October picture, they will remember Sept. 4 as the day that saved their season. For the first time since Aug. 19, 1984 — when the Clint Eastwood thriller “Tightrope” was the No. 1 movie in the country — Cleveland walked off both ends of a doubleheader, securing two dramatic, must-have victories separated by four hours and 39 minutes.
Guardians Complete Twin Comebacks Against Tigers
The Guardians erased deficits in each game against the Detroit Tigers. A day that threatened their grip on the final wild-card berth and their bid to unseat the division-leading Chicago White Sox instead proved about as fruitful as possible. The action began with a 64-minute rain delay and a shaky first inning from starter Logan Allen, forcing the bullpen into action just a couple of outs into a 19-inning day. It ended with rookie Travis Bazzana triumphantly slamming his helmet into the grass and sprinting so far from his pursuing teammates that reliever Hunter Gaddis gasped for air and “put the brakes on.”
Along the way, Cleveland lost Chase DeLauter to a right wrist sprain, Angel Martínez to a left shoulder contusion, and manager Stephen Vogt to an ejection. Gaddis, Erik Sabrowski, and Daniel Espino submitted critical multi-inning efforts to stabilize a bullpen juggling a cascade of moving parts.
Rocchio and Bazzana Deliver Historic Heroics
Brayan Rocchio smashed a tying grand slam and a walk-off home run to earn hero status in a 7-6 Game 1 victory.
We adore you, Brayan Rocchio.#GuardsBall | #GuardiWins
Bazzana belted a two-run shot to erase an eighth-inning deficit, then ripped a walk-off single to secure a 4-3 Game 2 victory. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it is the first time in the expansion era (since 1961) that a team had a player record a game-winning RBI and a game-tying hit in the same game in both ends of a doubleheader. Cleveland’s middle-infield duo, mired in a second-half slump, provided a pair of long-awaited adrenaline releases.
Bazzana Breaks Out of Slump in Clutch Fashion
Bazzana entered Friday’s action with a .559 OPS over his previous 56 games. The rookie and former All-Star carried Cleveland’s lineup at a time when injuries sidelined DeLauter and José Ramírez and when Steven Kwan and Kyle Manzardo were scuffling. He acknowledged he had been pressing and needed a day like this.
“It’s that time of year where you have to make stuff happen,” Bazzana said.
“I’ve been trying to figure it all out,” Bazzana said. “I really haven’t been at my best. I haven’t been the best version of myself. … I think I needed that, those close games, and just (to) get out of my head and compete.”
He went 2-for-3 in the opener and replaced DeLauter in the nightcap, collecting two more hits. When he made contact in the eighth inning, he delivered a stone-cold stare to his dugout as the baseball sailed over the fence in right-center. He was far more animated during his walk-off single, spiking his helmet before Rocchio even reached home plate. (Somewhere, former Browns linebacker Dwayne Rudd, inventor of the premature celebratory helmet toss, pointed at his TV screen like Leonardo DiCaprio.)
“You have to find a way to be mentally consistent and mentally bring out the best in yourself,” Bazzana said. “I think sometimes the moment does that for you. I think the best in the world are able to do that when the moment doesn’t give it to you.”
Rocchio Continues “Rocctober” Legacy
For Rocchio, the narrative was strikingly similar. Before the doubleheader, he owned a .177/.218/.252 slash line since the All-Star break. On Thursday afternoon, he struck out with runners on the corners, smacked his bat, and slammed it into the ground in frustration. He later sought guidance from veteran teammates Austin Hedges and Nathaniel Lowe, who assured him his fortunes would change.
They did. Rocchio became the sixth player in league history, per Elias, to hit a walk-off home run after hitting a grand slam earlier in the same game. In his three years in the big leagues, Rocchio has developed a penchant for supplying pivotal doses of power when the crisp autumn air arrives, earning the personas of “Rocctember,” “Rocctober,” and “Playoff Rocchio” from fans and teammates.
“I think he’s just got the gene,” Guardians pitcher Slade Cecconi said.
Rocchio yanked the tying grand slam over the fence in right field and clubbed the game-winner over the 19-foot wall in left. As he took off on his trot with teammates spilling out of the home dugout, he flung his bat as high as the U.S. Navy Blue Angels jets that spent the day zooming and twirling overhead, forcing catchers to re-enter their PitchCom selections.
“That’s a big moment for me,” Rocchio said.
Wild-Card Implications and Upcoming Schedule
The day was full of such moments for the Guardians, who have left themselves little margin for error this month as they vie for one of two entryways into the October bracket. They are trying to stave off the Toronto Blue Jays, Baltimore Orioles, and Texas Rangers in the wild-card race. Cleveland does not own the tiebreaker against Toronto or Texas, and they head to Baltimore for a three-game set starting Monday. They also can still catch the White Sox, but they will need to conquer them at Progressive Field in a week and a half.
All of that seemed flimsy throughout the day Friday, until four mighty swings from the two players who needed them most.
“Good players step up,” Vogt said. “It doesn’t matter what you did yesterday. It doesn’t matter what you’ve been doing the last week, two weeks. All that matters is today.”
