Guardians in Playoffs with HBP: Historic Comeback and Epic Finale

Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt predicted a turnaround for his team after a 10-game losing streak in early July, and he wasn’t wrong. The Guardians starred in one of the most notable comebacks in baseball history, securing their place in the postseason in an unusual way. The decisive moment arrived when CJ Kayfus was hit by a pitch on the arm with the bases loaded and two outs in the ninth inning of Saturday night’s game against the Texas Rangers, allowing Petey Halpin to score the winning run. The final result was a 3-2 victory that secured them a place in the playoffs. According to historical data, it’s the first time since at least 1920 that a team has won a postseason game with a “hit by pitch” that seals the qualification.

When they intentionally walked Gabriel Arias to load the bases, I knew I had a job to do. I knew I was going to get it done one way or another, but I definitely didn’t think it would be like that.

CJ Kayfus

The Guardians joined a select group of Major League teams, being the first from the American League, to reach the postseason after a 10-game losing streak. This group includes the 2017 Los Angeles Dodgers, the 1982 Atlanta Braves, and the 1951 New York Giants.

This is exactly who we are. Of course, we’re going to get classified with a “hit by pitch” to win. There are no words to describe how proud I am of these guys. They’ve earned every part of this.

Stephen Vogt

The Cleveland team, which had a 2.9% chance of making the postseason and a 0.2% chance of winning the American League Central Division on September 1, now shares the division lead with Detroit. If Cleveland and Detroit tie after Sunday’s games, the Guardians will win the Central Division due to their 8-5 advantage in the season series. This would give them the home-field advantage for the Wild Card series starting Tuesday. Although Steven Kwan and José Ramírez have been offensive pillars for the Guardians all season, other players have stepped up in September. Johnathan Rodríguez, called up on Wednesday after David Fry was hit in the face by a pitch on Tuesday night, hit a two-run home run in the first inning, putting the Guardians ahead 2-1. This was Rodríguez’s first at-bat, who had a .167 average in 29 games in the Major Leagues, since he was called up for his third stint this season.

They showed me the lineup last night and I showed it to my wife. She told me to play like I did in Triple-A.

Johnathan Rodríguez

On Wednesday, the Guardians became the first Major League team to overcome a 15.5-game deficit and take the lead in their division or league, with a 5-1 victory over the Tigers. On July 6, Cleveland had a 40-48 record and was 6.5 games out of a wild card spot, after a 7-2 loss in 10 innings against the Tigers that extended their losing streak to 10 games. Since July 7, the Guardians have had the best record in the American League, with 47-26. On September 4, the Guardians were 11 games behind the Tigers before achieving an impressive 15-1, including a 10-game winning streak that included a three-game sweep in Detroit. This is the biggest comeback in September to tie or take the lead in the division or league. The Guardians’ season was challenged by the absence of reliever Emmanuel Clase and starting pitcher Luis Ortiz, who were placed on non-disciplinary leave in July as part of investigations into their possible involvement in betting during games.

I give our players, coaches, and staff and Vogt a lot of credit because it was a really difficult mountain to climb to make this happen. There were times during the season when this seemed very far away, and our group never shied away from that. They showed up every day with the same energy, the same focus, the same intensity, to try to find a way to win a game that night, and that mentality has brought us to today.

Chris Antonetti