Finale vs. Reds Pushes Guardians in Right Direction Heading into Trade Deadline

The Cleveland Guardians are heading into the 2026 MLB Trade Deadline with a bit of momentum following a road series win over the Cincinnati Reds.

Jul 5, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt (12) walk back to the dugout after talking with umpires and Guardians officials about the field conditions before the game between the Guardians and the Chicago White Sox at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“It was a huge series, especially coming off a tough weekend, a tough road trip...just really proud of our guys."

Those are comments from Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt following the team's 2-1 series win over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday, July 29.

The Guardians, who entered the series riding a five-game losing streak, needed a strong showing to get momentum moving back in the right direction. Fortunately, while the pitching staff was able to stay solid, the offense got going, combining for 12 runs across two of the outings.

Kyle Manzardo surge is exactly what the #Guardians need as they look for a late-season push.

Back-to-back days with homers for Cleveland’s first baseman. #GuardsBall pic.twitter.com/pPke1yMZb8

— Cade Cracas (@CracasCade) July 30, 2026

On Tuesday, July 28, the Guardians pulled off a 6-5 win before following up such a showing with a 6-1 win on Wednesday.

They will head into a weekend homestand against the Arizona Diamondbacks with a 56-54 record, sitting just 1.5 games behind the Chicago White Sox for the top spot in the American League Central. There is certainly some ground to make up, but the bats and arms performing well at the same time were a sign that things are looking up.

Across the last seven days, consistency at the plate has come from Gabriel Arias, Travis Bazzana, Steven Kwan and José Ramírez, all of whom have five or more knocks. All of them but Ramírez have also recorded walks and RBI, finding ways to get on base and push runs in.

Seeing Kwan and Arias, who have had rough spells this season, perform the way they have, puts the team in a better spot to win games.

4-0 in the top of the fifth!

Runs scored by Kwan, Ramirez, DeLauter and Bazzana.

RBI from Bazzana, Manzardo, Arias and Bailey. #GuardsBall

— Cade Cracas (@CracasCade) July 30, 2026

“It's huge,” Kwan said when asked about the result of the Reds series. “Just trying to collect those series wins and move forward. We’ve got some off-days coming up, which is going to be really nice. I think if we can manage series wins, resting, recovering, and just kind of rinse and repeat...

"I think we're going to be in a good spot.”

Kwan is now back up in the first spot in the lineup, slashing .247/.348/.305 for an OPS of .653. He has a total of 85 hits, 13 doubles, two triples and one home run, all while walking 52 times and striking out just 41.

Arias, on the other hand, has started to heat back up since returning from injury.

Jul 25, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Cleveland Guardians short stop Gabriel Arias (13) throws to first base during the eighth inning against Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Pablo Robles-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

He is slashing .261/.302/.412 for an OPS of .714. While he is going to need to display a bit more consistency over the coming series, he's protecting his roster spot well.

If the Guardians can continue to get solid, reliable pitching from both the starters and the bullpen, all while the bats get going, the gap between them and the White Sox will shrink.

Cleveland's front office will continue to monitor the market as the major league squad welcomes the Diamondbacks into town. The series, which will be the last before the deadline hits, will begin on Friday, July 31, from Progressive Field at 7:10 p.m. EST.