Back-To-Back Wins Put Guardians in Perfect Spot for Series Sweep Over Athletics

Who knew Austin Hedges could leave the yard?

For the first time since Sept. 5, 2025, Hedges was able to bash a home run for the Cleveland Guardians, helping surge the team to a dominating victory, 14-6.

"He impacts the game behind the plate, and he's impacting it at the plate," Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said.

On Saturday, May 2, the Guardians played in game two of a three-game set against the Sacramento Athletics, beating them convincingly. With 14 runs being scored, Cleveland ended up posting 14 hits and six walks drawn. Every member of the lineup who started the game finished with at least five plate appearances.

The Guardians now own an American League Central-leading 18-16 overall record heading into the series finale on Sunday.

Leading the charge for the team on Saturday, though, was a combination of Hedges, who went 3-for-5 with two doubles and a home run, and Chase DeLauter, who went 2-for-3 with two walks drawn. Both stepped up big for the team when needed, whether it was driving in runs or simply getting on base.

Following the game, Hedges spoke to the fact that he was excited not to have cooled off following his third-inning home run.

"For sure, I mean, you know, sometimes those are the hardest days, you kind of get your hit or your homer out of the way and then you kind of exhale and you look up and you go one for five with four strikeouts," Hedges said. "But, you know, I just, I stuck with my plan and I was pumped to be able to take some good swings."

One of the other shining storylines for the Guardians was former No. 1 overall pick back in 2024, Travis Bazzana, who was called up just a few days ago. He finally recorded his first big league hit, driving in two runs in the process.

After going hitless through his first three outings, it was a sigh of relief to see him get on the bags with a hit.

"It's great. I mean, like we talked about, Travis has been having great at-bats and, you know, worked on another walk," Vogt began. "But just to get that first one to see it go through the infield, in a huge spot for us, too, to extend the lead. Great at-bat right there, battle, battle, battle, and really good for him to get this first one."

He is now up to 1-for-13 from the plate with five walks drawn to four strikeouts. He hasn't been flashy so far, but he is showing signs that he has what it takes to last in the big leagues.

"Yeah, it felt great," Bazzana said about his first hit. "Obviously, yeah, nothing but good feelings, obviously. So once it squeaks through, it's nice to get a couple of RBIs and get the best one out of the way."

The Guardians' Pitching Staff

While the play at the plate stole the show, especially with it being the team's highest-scoring outing since 2023, but the arms on the mound were able to hold down the fort.

Outside of Slade Cecconi's troubling start, the combination of Matt Festa, Tim Herrin and Colin Holderman continued their efficient trend. They combined for 3.0 innings pitched, giving up just two hits and one walk, while striking out one.

Festa's season ERA has dipped yet again, down to 4.70, with Herrin's remaining at zero and Holderman's to a measly 2.25. All three of them have seemingly taken massive strides in their command in recent performances, which is a great sign for general bullpen depth.

Unfortunately, though, Hunter Gaddis still hasn't looked the same since he came back from injury. Across 0.1 innings, he gave up two hits, one earned run and one walk, which has shot his season ERA up to 9.53. He threw 22 pitches before being pulled in relief for Holderman.

However, even with guys like Gaddis and Cecconi suffering setbacks on the mound, Cleveland's domination at the plate was able to lead them over the hump.

Now, the focus shifts towards Sunday, where the Guardians hope to see their first series sweep of the campaign. They'll take on the Athletics at 4:05 p.m. EST.

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