Young Guardians Heroes Shine in Series-Finale Victory Over Brewers

The Cleveland Guardians knew that the midweek series against the Milwaukee Brewers wasn't going to be easy.

Sitting nearly 20 games above .500, the Brewers have been by far one of the best teams in baseball this season. Not only that, but the Guardians were also set to be without three of their top talents: Jose Ramirez, Angel Martinez and Chase DeLauter.

And while they got beaten on Tuesday and Wednesday, Cleveland's young bats stepped up in the series finale to secure a victory.

On Thursday, June 18, the Guardians and Brewers clashed in an afternoon battle from American Family Field, with the away side coming out on top, 4-2. In the previous two outings, the Guardians' bats had been shaky, posting a combined seven hits.

But on Thursday, they matched that mark and added three solo home runs on to the board as youngsters Travis Bazzana and Kyle Manzardo helped lead the team to a win.

Bazzana Shines in Needed Win

The Guardians knew that to win at least a game in Milwaukee, the team's youngsters would have to step up.

On Tuesday, Gabriel Arias posted two knocks and an RBI. On Wednesday, Daniel Schneemann smacked a grand slam to score the team's only four runs. And on Thursday, Bazzana joined the fun with the go-ahead, eventual game-winning shot.

A 92.7 mph fastball down the middle was smashed 398 feet into right field, helping pull the team ahead, 3-2.

"I think it's just not putting extra pressure on situations," Bazzana said on how he stays composed at the plate. "Like when you come up, do you feel like the weight's on you, or do you feel like you have a plan to go execute. I think we're gonna work through that and it was good to get a win here and finish the series strong, but yeah, just having a good process and a plan and trusting the work you put in."

On the year, Bazzana is back up over a .750 OPS with five home runs to his name.

As long as players like him and Manzardo can keep playing well into the weekend, the Guardians will have a chance to steal a series in Houston.

Messick Controls the Rubber

The starters haven't been terribly reliable lately.

And while such a form is likely due to fatigue and hitting the middle of the campaign, it was causing some concern for the Guardians. Early in the season, that was the way they were able to squeak out wins and actually separate themselves from others.

After giving up three or more earned runs in his previous two starts, Parker Messick returned to stellar form on Thursday.

He tossed a nine-strikeout performance, allowing just four hits and two earned runs.

Momentum into Houston

The road ahead isn't going to get any easier for the Guardians.

With José Ramírez, Angel Martínez, and Chase DeLauter all expected to remain on the injured list for at least another week, and both Ramírez and Martínez likely sidelined for at least a month, the Guardians will need to rely even more heavily on their pitching staff and emerging young talent to stay competitive.

When the Guardians met with the Astros back in late April, they were outscored 10-16 across a three-game span, with the Astros also leaving with a series win.

Looking for revenge, they'll need to be on their A-game if they want any chance in keeping momentum from Thursday's game going.

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