Home Run Robberies, Clutch Hitting Fuel Guardians’ Late-Night Rally vs. Angels

The Cleveland Guardians weren't going to let a little first- and second-inning surge derail their night.

“What a special night," manager Stephen Vogt said. "That was a heart-pumper, whatever you want to call it. That game was crazy."

On Tuesday, August 25, the Guardians travelled to Angel Stadium of Anaheim, downing the Los Angeles Angels in extra innings, 8-6. From giving up five runs through the first two innings to rallying to put up five of their own in the fourth and fifth, the two sides battled back and forth all game long.

Vogt gave credit to those at the plate for both squads, as the two pitching staffs routinely had to make changes, which made things interesting.

"You know, two of the best starters in the league, and they're both out of there in the 4th, turned into a bullpen game, and our bullpen was fantastic," Vogt said. "Logan Allen, what a performance. Three innings, one run, kept us in it. You know, save the bullpen for the later innings, and what a credit to our offense for never giving up, coming back. Great plays on defense. This was a gutsy win.”

Starter Gavin Williams ended up being pulled after just 1.1 innings of work, giving up a whopping six hits and five earned runs.

That put the Guardians in a difficult spot, as they would go on to flex six different arms out of the bullpen. Fortunately, none of them suffered the struggles that Williams did.

"He just wasn't sharp tonight, and you know they made him pay for it," Vogt said of Williams. "But you know this is a gutsy team win. He's carried us in how many starts now, and for the boys to pick him up, that's a huge win.”

Matt Festa, Craig Yoho, Colin Holderman, Erik Sabrowski and Cade Smith all pitched nearly perfect frames, as Festa and Yoho were the only two of the bunch to even allow runners on the base paths. Logan Allen, who Vogt complimented, was the middle-inning relief arm that Cleveland counted on, as he pitched the fifth, sixth and seventh innings, giving up just two hits and one earned run.

And all while the bullpen staff held the Angels' offense back, Cleveland's was getting going.

Scoring three runs in the fourth, two in the fifth, one in the eighth and two more in the 10th, the Guardians were able to pull off one of the season's most impressive turnarounds.

At the plate, it was a combination of Steven Kwan and José Ramírez who clawed the team back from the pit they were in early.

Kwan ended the night with a remarkable 5-for-5 performance, with a walk drawn, RBI and three runs scored.

“Yeah, I mean Kwany’s been doing this now for it seems like two months, and when he gets on base we go, and he did that tonight," shared Vogt. "Great at bat there in the 10th. You know, doesn't get the bunt down, does what he has to do. And that's move the runner to third and get himself on. And like I said, just a lot of great performances.”

Ramìrez, on the other hand, who has struggled mightily as of late, turned a new leaf as he posted a 3-for-6 line with five RBI. Since coming back from hamate surgery a few weeks ago, he has slowly settled back in.

“Yeah, I mean, we've been waiting for a night like this, just a Hosey night," Vogt said. "You know, where he picks us up and carries us, and great swings from both sides of the plate, great at bats, and yeah, it was a lot of fun, and no doubt he was the one that should have got the go-ahead hit.”

After Kwan singled in the 10th, Ramírez sent a sharp double to center field to score him and the ghost runner, Brayan Rocchio, to push the team ahead of the Angels and secure the win.

The Guardians now own a 67-66 record, giving them a +.500 record for the first time since August 2.

They are also now riding a six-game winning streak as they look to close out a series sweep on Wednesday, August 26. The Guardians and Angels will conclude the series in LA at 4:07 p.m. EST.

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