How three maligned Guardians kept Cleveland's playoff push alive

On Sunday, the Cleveland Guardians got some key contributions from some unheralded players on their roster. Bo Naylor gave the Guardians the lead with a clutch late-game home run. Matt Festa picked up the win thanks to a dominant inning in relief. Brayan Rocchio iced the win with a Gold Glove-caliber play at second base. 

And while that trio showcased their skill in the win, this season hasn’t been smooth for either of them. They all had their struggles earlier in the year as the Guardians fell further and further back in the standings, but they’ve also all stepped their game up recently to help the club on their mad dash toward the postseason. 

Here’s how the three of them have helped contribute to the Guardians’ recent winning ways. 

The Guardians recent winning ways have been a team effort

Brayan Rocchio

Rocchio’s season has been defined by peaks and valleys, and we’re currently at the top of the highest peak. 

After struggling so bad earlier in the year that he was sent down to Triple-A, Rocchio was called up at the beginning of July and has thrived regardless of the situation he’s been put in. He started his second tenure with the Guardians at shortstop before moving to second base once Gabriel Arias returned from the injured list, and he’s spent the past month flip-flopping between the two thanks to Arias injury. 

But he provided his first signature moment at the keystone on Sunday with his fantastic diving stop to secure the Guardians’ win. While the ball only had an expected batting average of .170, it was in the perfect spot away from Rocchio, who was playing a bit more toward first base.

He dove to his right, corralled the ball and whipped a sidearm throw to first to get Andrew Benintendi, who ran the fastest he has all season on the play.  

 It was the kind of shortstop-esque play you don’t see often from a second baseman. 

“That's one of the best defensive plays I've seen,” manager Stephen Vogt told reporters after the game, per MLB.com's Tim Stebbins.

Although Rocchio’s been worth -1 Defensive Runs Saved at second base this year, he’s playing the position for the first time in his career and is clearly beginning to find his football at the new position. 

Couple that with the .262 average he’s totaled since being called up, and Rocchio is starting to look more and more like a cornerstone player.

Matt Festa

Festa has been divisive player for the Guardians’ fanbase this year, but there’s no denying how important he’s been lately. Festa hasn’t allowed an earned run over the past month (10 1/3 innings) and struck out the side against the White Sox on Sunday. 

Festa quietly ranks in the 91st percentile in hard-hit rate and 90th percentile in barrel rate despite pitching almost every day, and he’s picked up wins in each of his last two appearances. 

Guardians pitchers have been downright filthy over the past two months, and Festa’s renaissance has helped contribute to that. He’s clearly one of Vogt’s most trusted pitchers, so expect to see him in plenty more high-leverage situations over the past two weeks. 

Bo Naylor 

Last up is Naylor, who has all the talent in the world but has struggled for a good portion of his major league career. And while we’re only two weeks into September, he’s in the midst of one of the best months of his career. 

He’s hit .310 (9-for-29) across nine games this month, and provided another signature moment with his go-ahead home run against Chicago. 

Naylor’s thrown out 27 baserunners this year and had a game earlier this year where he threw out three batters in one game, so it’s clear that he can hold his own behind the plate. But he’s beginning to show his talents at the plate as well.