Guardians Force Game 3 in Wild card Series with 6-1 Win Over Tigers
CLEVELAND – Brayan Rocchio‘s sixth home run of the season, a decisive blast in the eighth inning, propelled the Cleveland Guardians to a 6-1 victory over the Detroit Tigers in Game 2 of the Wild Card Series on Wednesday. The win forces a decisive Game 3 to determine who advances in the MLB playoffs.
Rocchio’s homer, launched on a 99.9 mph fastball from Tigers reliever troy Melton, broke a scoreless tie and ignited a five-run inning for Cleveland, who had struggled offensively earlier in the series. The Guardians ultimately finished the game with a total of six runs, while the Tigers were held to just one.
Detroit’s offensive woes continued, going 1 for 15 with runners in scoring position in Game 2, bringing their series total to a dismal 2 for 23. Cleveland, conversely, didn’t place a runner in scoring position until the inning following Rocchio’s go-ahead hit.
The performance marked a continuation of a late-season trend for Rocchio, who has become a fan favorite during october. Teammate Austin Hedges dubbed him “Playoff Rocchio” after a walk-off home run on Sunday, and the infielder delivered again on Wednesday. Rocchio himself acknowledged his elevated performance during the playoffs, noting his strong showing in the 2024 playoff run (.333 average, .906 OPS).
“When backup catcher/team leader Austin Hedges awarded him the club’s championship belt after he clobbered a walk-off three-run homer off the foul pole on Sunday to cap the regular season, Hedges announced ’Playoff Rocchio’ as the ‘champion of the world,'” the report stated.
The guardians’ eighth-inning surge was capped by a three-run homer from Bo Naylor, adding to the momentum sparked by Rocchio’s hit.
A critical mistake on the basepaths hampered the Tigers’ efforts.In the fourth inning, Zach McKinstry was thrown out attempting to go from first to third on a ball hit to rookie Chase DeLauter. The play was initially ruled safe but overturned upon review.The out not only ended the inning but also negated a potential second run, leaving the game tied at 1-1 rather of giving Detroit a 2-1 lead.
The Tigers, known for their aggressive baserunning under third-base coach Joey Cora, had taken extra bases at a higher rate then any team in the past 50 years. Though, this aggressive approach backfired in a crucial moment.
