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Amid the American League wild-card race, the Cleveland Guardians secured a much-needed victory against the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday night, winning 7-5 in extra innings.
The win was Cleveland’s 10th in its last 11 games, including its fifth straight. After both teams were tied 3-3 through nine innings, the Guardians’ offense broke the game open in the top of the 10th. Starting with Steven Kwan, Cleveland’s first four hitters each delivered extra-base hits, a feat not accomplished by the franchise in an extra inning in 64 years.
Detroit answered back in the bottom half of the inning, scoring two runs to close the gap, but it wasn’t enough as the Guardians held on to finish the night with another critical victory.
Kwan and José Ramírez combined for four hits and three runs scored to lead the way offensively. Starting pitcher Joey Cantillo continued his strong stretch, allowing just one run across five innings. It marked his fifth straight start surrendering one run or fewer, a key boost for Cleveland’s rotation amid the playoff push.
The win keeps Cleveland firmly in the chase for the final American League wild-card spot. The Guardians moved ahead of the Texas Rangers, who fell to the Houston Astros, and now sit alone as the first team outside the playoff field. They trail the Boston Red Sox by 2 1/2 games for the final postseason berth. Although the Tigers remain unlikely to be caught in the AL Central, Cleveland is now 5 1/2 games back with five head-to-head meetings remaining.
The Guardians will look to extend their win streak and continue applying pressure on the teams ahead of them when the series resumes Wednesday.
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