CLEVELAND — The 2025 Guardians have been poster children for inconsistency, but they’ve also fought enough to remain relevant in the MLB playoff chase during the final month of the regular season.
By beginning a four-game series against the Kansas City Royals with two consecutive wins, the Guardians clinched a season-series victory and thereby secured a playoff tiebreaker versus K.C.
However, the Guardians had their five-game winning streak snapped Sept. 10 with a 4-3 loss to the Royals. The Guardians are now 3½ games behind the Seattle Mariners for the third and final American League wild-card playoff berth.
Here is how Guardians (74-71) versus Royals (74-72) unfolded through our updates at Progressive Field:
With their backs against the proverbial wall in the bottom of the ninth inning, the Guardians encountered Royals closer Carlos Estévez, the MLB leader in saves this season.
Brayan Rocchio popped out to shortstop for the first out.
Bo Naylor flew out to left field for the second out.
Steven Kwan flew out to left field to end the game.
Estévez recorded his 39th save this year.
Guardians relief pitcher Jakob Junis had an adventurous eighth inning.
Royals cleanup hitter Salvador Perez blasted two consecutive fouls balls to left field. The first one needed a replay review to confirm it was foul and not a home run. The second one was obviously foul but a rocket nonetheless.
Eventually, Perez grounded out to third base. Jose Ramirez bobbled the ball before throwing out Perez at first.
Junis proceeded to strike out Jonathan India and Adam Frazier to end the top half of the inning with the Guardians trailing 4-3.
Royals relief pitcher Lucas Erceg induced Guardians cleanup hitter Kyle Manzardo to ground out to second base and leave Jose Ramirez stranded at second in the bottom of the seventh inning.
With the Guardians seeking a rally, Ramirez hit a two-out double to right field off Erceg. It was Ramirez’s first hit of the game.
However, the threat ended with the Guardians behind 4-3 entering the eighth inning.
The Guardians’ well-rested bullpen struggled as the Royals scored two runs in the seventh inning to seize a 4-3 lead.
The Guardians’ Tim Herrin relieved Matt Festa to begin the seventh inning and surrendered a one-out RBI single to left field against Nick Loftin. Tyler Tolbert reached home, tying the score 3-3.
Then the Guardians brought Hunter Gaddis into the game from the bullpen, and he immediately allowed an RBI double off the left-field wall against Maikel Garcia. The Royals took a 4-3 lead, their first advantage since they scored a run in the top of the first inning.
Leading 3-2, the Guardians summoned Matt Festa from the bullpen to relieve starting pitcher Logan Allen at the start of the sixth inning. Festa worked a 1-2-3 inning.
Allen pitched five innings and allowed seven hits, two runs and zero walks. He struck out two. He threw 86 pitches, including 55 for strikes.
With two outs in the fourth inning, Guardians catcher Bo Naylor hit an RBI single to right field off Royals reliver Sam Long as Cleveland took a 3-2 lead.
Angel Martinez led off the inning with a walk against Royals reliever Angel Zerpa and later scored on Naylor’s clutch hit.
Shortstop Brayan Rocchio made an incredible defensive play in the fourth inning to record the first out. Rocchio back-handed a groundball hit by Randal Grichuk and threw the ball to first base on one hop to register the out.
The top half of the inning ended when Rocchio made another impressive play, though more routine than the aforementioned one, to throw out Kyle Isbel.
The score remained tied 2-2.
Guardians starting pitcher Logan Allen gave up three hits in the third inning, yet it could have been worse for Cleveland because he allowed just one run during the sequence.
The Royals tied the score 2-2 in the third inning when Vinnie Pasquantino singled to right field with one out, driving Bobby Witt Jr. home. Witt singled during the previous at-bat and then stole second base.
With Pasquantino on first base and one out, Salvador Perez doubled to left field, moving Pasquantino to third.
Jonathan India grounded out to second base for the second out of the inning as the runners stayed put.
Adam Frazier then grounded out to second base without the Royals inflicting more damage.
With a one-run lead, Guardians starting pitcher Logan Allen worked a 1-2-3 second inning against the Royals.
Allen made a good defensive play to end the bottom half of the inning, fielding the ball himself and beating Kyle Isbel to first base.
The Guardians went scoreless, too, in the bottom half of the inning. Entering the third inning, Cleveland led 2-1.
Guardians cleanup hitter Kyle Manzardo smashed a two-out, two-run home run off Royals starting pitcher Jonathan Bowlan in the first inning, giving Cleveland a 2-1 lead.
Steven Kwan led off with a single to left field and advanced to second base on a wild pitch. George Valera then drew a walk.
With runners on first and second base, Jose Ramirez flew out to right field for the first out before Kwan and Valera executed a double steal. However, the Royals challenged the play at third base and won. Therefore, Kwan was caught stealing at third.
With Valera at second base and Manzardo facing a 1-2 count, Manzardo blasted a go-ahead two-run home run 432 feet to right field. It was Manzardo’s 26th homer this season.
With two outs and runners on first and second base, Guardians starting pitcher Logan Allen surrendered an RBI single to Jonathan India, and the Royals captured a 1-0 lead in the first inning.
Maikel Garcia led off the inning with an infield single on a chopper to shortstop Brayan Rocchio. Allen struck out Bobby Witt Jr., but Vinnie Pasquantino then singled to left field. Allen got Salvador Perez to pop out to catcher Bo Naylor in foul territory for the second out.
India hit an RBI single up the middle of the infield. Second baseman Daniel Schneemann dived and got his glove on the ball, but he couldn’t secure it quickly enough to register an out, and Garcia scored.
The top half of the inning ended with Allen striking out Adam Frazier.
Here is some pregame information:
Where are Cleveland Guardians in the AL wild card standings?
The AL wild-card standings entering Sept. 10 (top three teams make the playoffs):
New York Yankees 80-64 (3½ games ahead)Boston Red Sox 81-65 (3½ games ahead)Seattle Mariners 77-68 (final AL wild-card spot)Texas Rangers 76-70 (1½ games behind)Cleveland Guardians 74-70 (2½ games behind)Kansas City Royals 73-72 (four games behind)Tampa Bay Rays 72-72 (4½ games behind)
As for the AL Central Division standings, the Guardians went into Sept. 10 positioned second and trailing the first-place Detroit Tigers (83-62) by 8½ games. In other words, Cleveland’s only realistic path to the playoffs is to seize a wild card, and it has been the case for a while.
Guardians playoff chances
According to FanGraphs’ projections, the Guardians entered Sept. 10 with a 10.1% chance to make the playoffs.
Guardians game today | Pitching matchup vs Kansas City Royals
Guardians left-handed pitcher Logan Allen is set to start opposite Royals right-hander Jonathan Bowlan.
Allen has started 26 Guardians games this season, earning a record of 7-11 with a 4.46 ERA and 1.44 WHIP. He has struck out 109 batters and walked 59 in 139⅓ innings.
Bowlan will make his first start and 27th appearance this season. He has a record of 1-2 with a 3.57 ERA and 1.13 WHIP, striking out 35 and walking 15 in 35⅓ innings.
To be clear, the Guardians expect to encounter a bullpen game from the Royals.
Cleveland Guardians players | Today’s lineup vs KC RoyalsSteven Kwan, LFGeorge Valera, DHJose Ramirez, 3BKyle Manzardo, 1BAngel Martinez, CFDaniel Schneemann, 2BC.J. Kayfus, RFBrayan Rocchio, SSBo Naylor, C
Note: Valera has played five games with the Guardians, but this will be his first in Cleveland.
Guardians shortstop Gabriel Arias remained out of the lineup for the second consecutive day.
Arias was hit by a pitch on his right wrist Aug. 29. Then he aggravated the same wrist while sliding into home plate Sept. 8.
Gabriel Arias injury update from Cleveland Guardians’ Stephen Vogt
Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt provided an injury update on video about shortstop Gabriel Arias, who underwent tests on a problematic wrist.
The good news for the Guardians is Arias received encouraging test results on the injured wrist.
“After testing and consulting with Dr. Graham and our medical staff and Gabby, he’s going to be playing through some pain,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. “It’s kind of to his tolerance, so kind of how he was before. [The testing] really didn’t show anything that he can’t play through. So it’s going to be up to Gabby, which is great. We want to have Gabby in the lineup as often as possible.”
Cleveland Guardians schedule
After the Guardians wrap up their four-game series with the Royals on Sept. 11, they are scheduled to host the Chicago White Sox for three games Sept. 12-14.
The Guardians are set to hit the road for three games against the Tigers Sept. 16-18 and four games versus the Minnesota Twins Sept. 19-21 with a doubleheader Sept. 20.
The Guardians are slated to end their regular season at home with three games against the Tigers Sept. 23-25 and three games versus the Rangers Sept. 26-28.
Where can I watch the Cleveland Guardians game today?
The game on Sept. 10 can be viewed on AT&T U-verse (Channel 1736), COX (Channel 80), DIRECTV Satellite and Streaming (Channel 662), FuboTV and Spectrum (Channel 1306). It can be streamed via MLB’s direct-to-consumer streaming subscription (CLEGuardians.TV). It’ll be available on the radio via WTAM 1100, WMMS 100.7 and WARF 1350.
Nate Ulrich is the sports columnist of the Akron Beacon Journal and a sports features writer. Nate can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich.