Cleveland Guardians advance to ALDS after marathon 1-0 victory over Rays

When Guardians rookie Oscar Gonzalez hit a blast into the right-field seats off of one of the most accomplished pitchers in Cleveland baseball history, he put to an end the longest scoreless game in MLB postseason history and completed the first sweep in wild-card series history.

His first few slow steps, followed by a subdued clap and skip before high-fiving first-base coach Sandy Alomar Jr. reflected the fatigue the players experienced from playing for over five hours before the first run was scored. His celebration picked up as he rounded the bases and the Guardians celebrated outside the third-base dugout, but the players’ feelings were articulated well when winning pitcher Sam Hentges said in his postgame interview, “That was a long game.”

The blast sent the 34,000+ Guardians fans that filled Progressive Field on Saturday afternoon into a frenzy, sent the Tampa Bay Rays home for the offseason, and sent the Cleveland Guardians on to face the New York Yankees in the AL Division Series. While the scoring waited over five hours to commence, this game had plenty of excitement.

Let’s take a look at some of the keys to one of the best-pitched playoff games in history.

Guardians pitchers struck out 20 Rays in 15 innings, starting with eight from starter Triston McKenzie in his six innings of work, and ending with six from winning pitcher Hentges in his extended three innings. In total, eight Guardians pitchers combined to allow just six hits and five walks in 14 innings.

On a day where the Guardians pitchers dominated the Rays, and overwhelmed them every time they got in trouble, the only concern came in the tenth inning when right-handed reliever Nick Sandlin had to be removed from the game due to right upper arm tightness. Sandlin was a pivotal part of the Guardians’ bullpen this year, throwing 46 innings with a 2.25 ERA and 1.16 WHIP. His recovery and status is something to watch closely as the ALDS approaches.

The Rays added 19 strikeouts of their own, including five from starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow, who was brilliant and efficient for five innings in just his third start back following Tommy John surgery. I wrote in the Game 2 preview that Tampa’s bullpen depth would be tested, and they nearly lived up to the challenge, holding Cleveland to just three hits in the final nine innings of the game.

Rays manager Kevin Cash took risks and seemed to pull the right strings at the right times all afternoon, going to closer Peter Fairbanks in the sixth inning, and then potential Game 3 starter Drew Rasmussen for 1 2/3 innings. In the end, despite their brilliance, the Rays were just outpitched by the Guardians.

The Guardians’ defense was spectacular this whole series. I mentioned in the Game 1 recap that their infield D was a difference-maker and could be a pivotal factor in this series. The entire team was involved in spectacular defense that supported Cleveland’s brilliant pitching throughout the game.

Guardians catcher Austin Hedges made an absolutely perfect throw to catch Manuel Margot stealing in the top of the seventh inning. Once again, we saw Cash take advantage of the extra challenge that teams are allotted in the postseason, and following a quick review the call was confirmed.

In the top of the tenth, after Sandlin left, Cleveland center fielder Myles Straw made a game-saving catch going far to his left and making a catch fully extended at a dead sprint in the right-center field gap. Straw had a disappointing start to this season offensively, not living up to expectations with the bat early in the season, but his value with the glove is undeniable.

In the top of the twelfth, José Ramírez made a difficult back-handed stop on a slowly hit bouncer from Margot. Ramírez then spun, threw off his back foot and made a one-hop throw to first that first baseman Josh Naylor scooped to end the inning. The Rays challenged the call on this play too, hoping to extend the inning and give them the lead, but the call on the field was upheld and the score remained tied.

Then in the top of the fourteenth, the Guardians turned a 4-3-6 double play when second baseman Andrés Giménez fielded a grounder and Rays runner Wander Franco had to stop to avoid being tagged out. Giménez threw to first to get the force out and Naylor then made a perfect throw to shortstop Amed Rosario, who tagged Franco for the second out.

Overall, the Guardians defense was brilliant behind their dominant pitching. Look for this to continue to be a pivotal and potentially deciding factor moving forward.

The Guardians, after making quick work of the Rays, move on to face the AL East champion Yankees in the divisional series. Game 1 will be Tuesday, October 11 at Yankee Stadium. Cleveland struggled against the Bombers this season, going just 1-5, including being swept at Yankee Stadium in late April. Working in the Guardians’ favor is the extended layoff that the Yankees need to adjust to due to their bye for the wild-card round. Check back soon for a full preview of the ALDS matchup!