Game Recap 7/2/23 | Guardians Win 8-6 vs. Cubs

July 2, 2023

Andy Billman

Observations from the Game

3 things about Guardians Win 8-6 Over Chicago Cubs:

1 – Wild Ending Part I

I will say this until I die, it is never dull being a Cleveland fan.  

The Cleveland Guardians had the game won in the 8th inning with no energy, everybody was ready to get out of town as the Guardians were up 6-1, and Trever Stephan was on the mound in relief.  Stephan promptly struggled and gave up a bomb to Christopher Morel, 6-2 Guards.  

Bottom of the 9th, newly selected 2023 All-Star Emmanuel Clase comes into the game to get some work, and boy did he get some work. Clase walks the leadoff hitter and then after retiring former Clevelander Yan Gomes for the first out, Cam Gallagher gets back-to-back passed balls allowing the runner to go to 3rd.  Trey Mancini singles, now 6-3.

And then the unthinkable.  Back-to-back miscues by Josh Naylor on ground balls at first base, loaded the bases with one out.  Naylor on the first grounder had a hard time getting the ball out of his glove, and on the second grounder, similar results as he could not get the ball out of his glove.  Very poor from Naylor at first, Yikes. 

A single and a sacrifice fly later, the game was tied at 6-6.  BARTENDER, I NEED A WHISKY!!

2 – Wild Ending Part II

After all of that, Clase does get the final out, getting the game into extra innings.

Amed Rosario got the inning going with a single up the middle, causing a collision with the Cubs second baseman and shortstop, neither hurt, Guards on 1st and 3rd, and nobody out.  

After Jose Ramirez hit a grounder that was picked by the first baseman for one out, Rosario did get to second.  The next batter, Josh Naylor, and Naylor got the game-winning single scoring two runs to put the Guards up 8-6, REDEMPTION!!  Great moment for Naylor!

Sam Hentges came in and got the win with a 1-2-3 10th. BARTENDER, DRINKS ON THE HOUSE!!

3 – Gimenez and Civale

Andres Gimenez had a big Sunday night going 2 for 4 with a 2-run home run in the 3rd inning.  Aaron Civale had a quality start going six strong giving up three hits and only one earned.

Game Summary

In the 10th inning, Josh Naylor delivered a clutch two-run single, leading the Cleveland Guardians to an 8-6 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Sunday. This came after their All-Star closer, Emmanuel Clase, squandered a four-run lead in the ninth inning.

The game had a delayed start of nearly two hours due to rain, but once it began, Aaron Civale took the mound and pitched brilliantly, allowing only three hits over six innings. In the third inning, Andrés Giménez hit a home run and later scored the go-ahead run in the 10th inning.

At the start of the 10th inning, Giménez automatically started on second base as the designated runner and advanced to third base on Amed Rosario’s single. With runners on second and third, José Ramírez’s groundout set the stage for Naylor, who drove them in with a single up the middle against Adbert Alzolay (1-4), putting the Guardians back in the lead with an 8-6 score.

In the bottom half of the 10th inning, Sam Hentges (1-0) retired all three Cubs batters, securing the victory for Cleveland and handing the Cubs their sixth loss in seven games.

Initially, it seemed like an easy win for the Guardians after enduring another lengthy rain delay. They held a comfortable 6-1 lead going into the eighth inning. However, Christopher Morel’s solo homer off Trevor Stephan sparked a comeback for the Cubs.

Clase struggled in the ninth inning, walking Jared Young and encountering further difficulties. Trey Mancini’s RBI single and back-to-back infield singles by Mike Tauchman and Nico Hoerner loaded the bases for the Cubs. Morel capitalized on the opportunity with a two-run single up the middle, and Cody Bellinger’s sacrifice fly tied the game at 6-6. The inning ended with a groundout by Seiya Suzuki.

Originally scheduled to start at 1:20 p.m., the game was pushed back to 4:05 p.m. in the morning. However, due to additional rain delays, the first pitch was further delayed by 1 hour and 55 minutes, following a nearly three-hour delay in Saturday’s game.

Giménez contributed significantly to the Guardians’ offense, hitting a two-run homer in the third inning and doubling and scoring in the fifth inning, adding to the team’s lead. Civale had a solid performance, allowing only one run despite hitting two batters and issuing one walk over 94 pitches.

On the other side, Chicago starter Jameson Taillon struggled, giving up six runs (five earned) and seven hits in five innings. He recorded six strikeouts and no walks.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Steven Kwan (sore shoulder) was held out of the starting lineup but entered late on defense. “He’s a hard guy to give a day off because he leads off against lefties and righties, and he plays left field really well,” manager Terry Francona said. “He’s just a hard guy to replace. But then you kind of think, OK, if you get a little stubborn and don’t, you might lose him for a week, which doesn’t make a lot of sense.”

Up Next

Monday 7/3 7:10 PM EST – Game 1 of 3 vs Braves

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