It’s been a whirlwind couple of days for the Cleveland Guardians, but Tuesday night finally brought a breath of fresh air. After a chaotic Monday filled with bad news and bad weather, the team came out swinging—literally—and reminded fans they still have plenty of fight left in them.
Let’s rewind a bit to put it all into perspective.
Monday Mayhem: Rain, Scandal, and a Stinging Loss
The chaos started early Monday afternoon, around 1 p.m., when news broke that closer Emmanuel Clase had been removed from the roster due to his alleged involvement in a gambling investigation. The shock of losing their All-Star-level closer rippled through the clubhouse, leaving everyone stunned.
As if that wasn’t enough, Mother Nature decided to pitch in too. A 2-hour, 30-minute rain delay pushed back the first pitch against the Rockies, and when the game finally got underway, it turned into a marathon—three hours long, which is practically unheard of in the pitch clock era.
The Guardians did little to energize the crowd early, but just when it looked like they’d go quietly, they fought back to take a 5-3 lead late in the game. But that glimmer of hope was short-lived. The bullpen unraveled in the ninth inning, and Cleveland dropped a painful 8-6 decision to the last-place Rockies.
Tuesday Turnaround: A New Energy Emerges
Whatever dark cloud hovered over the Guardians on Monday had cleared by Tuesday. Whether it was the extra day to process the loss of Clase—or the earlier exit of pitcher Luis Ortiz, also under investigation—the team looked renewed and ready.
Maybe it was the blistering Missouri heat they’d endured at Kauffman Stadium over the weekend finally wearing off. Maybe it was the chance to feast on a relatively inexperienced arm. Or maybe they just had enough.
Rookie right-hander Tanner Gordon, making only his fifth MLB start, found himself square in the Guardians’ crosshairs. Cleveland’s offense exploded early and never looked back in a dominant 10-4 win over the Rockies. And it wasn’t just any win—it was one of those feel-good games where everything clicked.
Kyle Manzardo Goes OFF!
One of the brightest stars of the night? That would be first baseman Kyle Manzardo, who put on an absolute show at the plate.
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🚀 Two homers in six innings
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🔥 Three-hit game, his second of the season
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💥 Now sitting at 18 home runs on the year
Manzardo got the Guardians on the board in the third with a two-run bomb to center field off Gordon. He followed that with a solo homer in the sixth and added a single in between. That’s some serious power, and for a team looking for offensive consistency, it couldn’t have come at a better time.
Offensive Explosion: 15 Hits and Counting
Manzardo wasn’t the only Guardian lighting it up. Cleveland racked up 14 hits in the first six innings and finished the night with a season-high 15 hits.
Here’s how the scoring broke down:
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1st Inning: Gabriel Arias drove in two runs with a two-out single that slipped past shortstop Ezequiel Tovar.
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3rd Inning: After José Ramirez led off with a single, Manzardo’s homer made it 5-0. Brayan Rocchio followed up with a two-run triple to stretch the lead to 7-0.
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4th Inning: Nolan Jones knocked in a run with an RBI single—against his former team, no less.
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5th Inning: Steven Kwan kept the line moving with an RBI single of his own.
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6th Inning: Manzardo’s second homer put an exclamation point on the offensive barrage.
By the end of the sixth, the Guardians had scored at least one run in every inning, something you don’t see often at any level of baseball.
Logan Allen: Steady Arm in a Storm
While the offense was humming, Logan Allen quietly put together one of his most efficient starts of the season.
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⚾ 7 innings pitched
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🔥 Career-high 113 pitches
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🧱 Only 2 earned runs on 8 hits
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🔄 First Cleveland pitcher to throw over 110 pitches since 2021
Allen’s performance was exactly what the team needed—a sturdy, calming presence on the mound after the previous day’s meltdown. He’s now gone six innings or longer in 10 straight starts, solidifying his role as a workhorse in this rotation.
The two runs Allen did give up came via solo home runs: one by Jordan Beck in the fourth and another by Michael Toglia in the seventh. No harm, no foul when your offense puts up double-digit runs.
Trade Deadline Looming: Does This Win Matter?
Let’s be real—fans are already wondering what this win means for the Guardians as the trade deadline inches closer on Thursday.
Here’s the truth:
➡️ This game alone probably won’t change the front office’s plans.
Some insiders believe that losing Clase as a trade chip due to the investigation essentially closed the door on any major deadline moves. Even if Clase returns after the investigation wraps up on August 31, it might be too little, too late in terms of chasing a division title or Wild Card berth.
Still, a win like this can breathe life into a locker room. Even if management doesn’t make any blockbuster moves, the team now knows they can win without all the stars in place.
A Much-Needed Moment of Ease
Let’s not forget—this season has been a grind. Injuries, investigations, and inconsistency have plagued the Guardians for months. Tuesday night offered a rare bit of smooth sailing.
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✅ No ninth-inning drama
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✅ No bullpen collapses
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✅ Just good, clean baseball and offensive fun
Even the final run given up—a Kyle Farmer homer off Tim Herrin in the ninth—couldn’t dull the shine of a long-overdue comfortable win.
What’s Next?
The Guardians face off again Wednesday night with the starter still listed as “undecided,” while the Rockies are sending lefty Kyle Freeland (2-10, 5.24 ERA) to the mound.
📺 Watch on: CLEGuardians.TV
📻 Listen on: WTAM 1100, WMMS 100.7 FM, WARF, and the full Guardians Radio Network
🕕 First pitch at: 6:40 p.m. ET
With momentum swinging back in their favor, and a little clubhouse fire restored, the Guardians have a shot to turn this rough patch into a rally. Whether the trade deadline brings fireworks or fizzles, one thing’s clear—Cleveland isn’t going down quietly.
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