The power of love leads Cleveland to a date with the postseason: Guardians breakfast
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Baseball is an emotional game, and there are moments throughout a season that reveal just how deeply and passionately the players and coaches on a particular team feel about what they do for a living.
The Guardians’ 4-3 comeback win on Tuesday was one of those moments.
When rookie Kyle Manzardo hit his third home run, a huge smash to right off Minnesota’s Griffin Jax that put Cleveland ahead and drew a wild reaction from Manzardo’s teammates in the Guardians dugout, manager Stephen Vogt took it all in.
Vogt, who was moved to tears of pride after the game, said every player dreams of hitting a big home run in such a situation and it was quite impressive to see Manzardo realize such a moment after making adjustments in the minors earlier this season.
“It’s a moment you dream about since you were 3 or 4 years old,” Vogt said. “Maybe in your dreams it’s a walk-off, but such a big win for your team, everyone who grows up wanting to play baseball has acted like that moment has happened since they could walk. The smile on his face when he looked back at our dugout, it was unbelievable.”
Vogt said his favorite moment was seeing Josh Naylor standing at second base, both arms raised above his head as the ball flew over the fence, cheering on his teammate as if he himself had made the winning hit. When Manzardo rounded the bases, Naylor was waiting for him at home plate with a bear hug before heading back to the dugout.
“That’s the kind of stuff this team does,” Vogt said. “They want to win. They don’t care who takes the hit. They don’t care if they play tonight … That says everything about this group of guys in this room. They love each other and they want to win.”
Throughout the season, Vogt has repeatedly told reporters that the genuine sense of camaraderie and togetherness in Cleveland’s locker room is an endless source of pride for him and the coaching staff. But Vogt also deserves credit for leading by example at the helm and making it clear to his players that it’s OK to love the guy in the locker next to you.
“They are so much fun to watch, they love each other and they work hard,” Vogt said. “It was an emotional night and to see two teammates come together like that is impressive.”
Jose Ramirez, the third baseman for the Cleveland Guardians, hits a single against Pablo Lopez, the starting pitcher for the Minnesota Twins, in the sixth inning at Progressive Field. John Kuntz, cleveland.com
Time for Trivia
Today’s menu includes stuffed French toast, bacon and a glass of orange juice. Sit back, enjoy with some maple syrup and ponder this question: Emmanuel Clase is just five saves away from tying Jose Mesa for the most consecutive saves in franchise history (38 in 1995). Who holds the MLB record? Answer below.
Magic number: 7
The Guardians reduced their magic number and reclaimed the American League Central Division championship on Monday thanks to a 4-3 win over the Twins at Progressive Field and a Kansas City loss to Detroit.
Any combination of Guardians wins and second-place team losses (currently the Royals) that totals 7 would give Cleveland the 12th AL Central Division title in franchise history.
Magic number of the Cleveland Guardians.cleveland.com
Today’s game
RHP Gavin Williams (3-9, 5.23) vs. RHP Zebby Matthews (1-3, 7.11) at 6:40 p.m. Bally Sports Great Lakes, WTAM 1100 AM, WMMS 100.7 FM, WARF 1350 AM (Spanish) and the Guardians Radio Network will broadcast the game.
What happens next?
Here’s what the Guardians can expect after Monday’s game against the Rays:
Wednesday: RHP Tanner Bibee (11-8, 3.60) vs. RHP Bailey Ober (12-7, 3.90) at 6:40 p.m. Bally Sports Great Lakes, WTAM 1100 AM, WMMS 100.7 FM, WARF 1350 AM (Spanish) and the Guardians Radio Network will broadcast the game.
Thursday: LHP Joey Cantillo (2-3, 4.99) vs. RHP Simeon Woods Richardson (5-5, 4.08) at 1:10 p.m. Bally Sports Great Lakes, MLB Network, WTAM 1100 AM, WARF 1350 AM (Spanish) and the Guardians Radio Network will broadcast the game.
Friday: The Guardians make their final trip of the regular season, a three-game trip to Busch Stadium to play the Cardinals in St. Louis.
Trivia answer: The record for most consecutive saves is held by Eric Gagné with 84, when he played for the Dodgers from 2002 to 2004.
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