Bo Naylor, Kyle Manzardo Break Down What Worked at the Plate in Wednesday’s Game

Naylor and Manzardo have struggled at the plate to begin the 2026 campaign, but on Wednesday, April 15, they both produced runs for the Cleveland Guardians.

Apr 15, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Cleveland Guardians catcher Bo Naylor (23) hits a two run double against the St. Louis Cardinals during the seventh inning at Busch Stadium. Players and coaches are wearing number 42 in recognition of Jackie Robinson Day. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

After struggling for most of the 2026 MLB regular season, Cleveland Guardians catcher Bo Naylor and first baseman Kyle Manzardo contributed the team's only three RBI on Wednesday.

In a 5-3 loss on the road from Busch Stadium on Wednesday, April 15, the Guardians finally had a good showing at the plate for Naylor and Manzardo. The two had previously been unable to provide impactful moments for the team.

But when all odds were against Cleveland with two outs in the top of the first and top of the seventh, they both rose to the occasion.

In the opening frame, Manzardo singled on a line drive to bring José Ramírez in to score from second base. Not only were the Guardians trying to score the game's opening runs in a tough first inning, but the count was also 2-2, and the team had two outs recorded.

For Manzardo, though, it wasn't an issue.

“Once I got to two strikes, just trying to back the ball up a little bit and get to the middle of the field,” Manzardo said in a postgame interview. “We’ve got a lot of guys that refuse to give in.”

Now, on the 2026 campaign, Manzardo's slashing line is up to .180/.268/.260 for an OPS of .528. While it may not be that high, it's growth from where he was just a few series ago. He's embodying that "refuse to give in" mentality that many of the Guardians' players are trying to use.

Alongside Manzardo, Naylor's at-bat, in which he drove in runs, was similar.

He stood in the box, with the Guardians down 4-1, and fought through a six-pitch at-bat, which forced him into a 3-2 count, before drilling a double into the right-center field gap. He was able to send Daniel Schneemann and Rhys Hoskins sprinting around the bases and home to bring the game within a run.

Although Naylor's moment gave the Guardians a bit of hope, they were unable to weather the storm and pull off the comeback.

However, in a postgame interview, Naylor shared that he's doing what he can and controlling what he can control. He seemingly refused to hang his head following the loss, especially due to the growth the team has seen in certain areas.

"Yeah, I mean, from finding the barrel, you know, at the end of the day, if I continue on that line, then the ball's gonna fall," Naylor said postgame. "So, that's the best I can do to control what I can control. And, yeah, the more times you do that, the better position we in.”

#Guardians Bo Naylor on his first extra base hit and first RBI of the season today in St Louis:

“Yeah, I mean, you know, from finding the barrel, you know, at the end of the day, if I continue on that line, then the ball's gonna fall. So, that's the best I can do to, you know,…

— Mason Horodyski (@MasonHorodyski) April 15, 2026

Like Manzardo, Naylor's recent play has helped his numbers bounce back up.

While he is still looking for a bit more power behind his swing, his batting average is up to .158 and his on-base percentage is back towards the mid-.200s. He currently has

If Cleveland can continue to work into at-bats, growing the opposing arm's pitch count, the batters will get better looks at what will be thrown their way. As seen on Wednesday, from both teams, all it takes is the right pitch, and the game can be flipped on its head.

Up next, the Guardians return back to Progressive Field for a date against the Baltimore Orioles. The two sides begin a four-game series on Thursday, April 16.