Pro Cougs: Kyle Manzardo Grabs Seventh Postseason Hit in Guardians Wild Card Loss

Sep 28, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians first baseman Kyle Manzardo (9) hits a double against the Texas Rangers during the eighth inning at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Guardians began their 2025 postseason run on Tuesday with a home loss to the Detroit Tigers in the American League Wild Card Series.

Former Washington State Cougar Kyle Manzardo, currently serving as Cleveland's designated hitter, singled to right field in the bottom of the second inning. Before Manzardo could reach home, however, Mazardo was tagged out at second as part of a double play that Gabriel Arias hit into.

---

MORE: Latest Bowl Projections Send Washington State To Hawaii For Christmas Eve

---

Detroit won the game by a score of 2-1 behind 14 strikeouts from Cy Young winner and former Seattle University pitcher Tarik Skubal.

Manzardo finished the day one-for-four at the plate. He struck out twice before grounding into a fielder's choice in the bottom of the ninth that resulted in what would have been Cleveland's tying run being tagged out at home.

The loss was Manzardo's tenth postseason game with Cleveland. The hit was his seventh in the postseason after making his MLB debut in 2024.

---

MORE: Second Start, Big Impact: Eckhaus Continues to Spark Wazzu Offense

---

In the 2024 postseason, Manzardo went to bat 19 times. He accumulated six hits with one double and one home run, making for a postseason batting average of .316. He scored two runs with two RBIs, striking out four times.

The Idaho was an All-American in 2020 and 2021 at WSU. In 2021, he hit .365 with 72 hits, 11 home runs, 60 RBI, and 43 runs scored. He spent three total seasons at WSU before being selected by the Tampa Bay Rays in the second round of the 2021 MLB Draft.

The best-of-three series between Detroit and Cleveland continues on Wednesday, October 1 in Cleveland at 1 p.m. ET on ESPN.

---