Ryan LewisAkron Beacon Journal
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CLEVELAND —The Guardians go for the sweep against the Chicago Cubs Wednesday night at Progressive Field.
After losing seven consecutive games and seemingly entering a tailspin, the Guardians have corrected course by winning four consecutive games entering Wednesday's series finale against the Cubs.
Through that stretch, the Guardians have maintained a four-game lead in the American League Central over the Minnesota Twins, who have only done enough to remain in the race after going 5-5 in their last 10 games.
Emmanuel Clase became the first Cleveland pitcher since Jose Mesa in 1995 to appear in four consecutive games in Tuesday's 2-1 win, in which he earned his 37th save.
Check back here for live score updates, analysis and highlights from Wednesday's game.
Guardians win fifth consecutive game
The Guardians' win streak has reached five games, as Cleveland has beaten the Cubs 6-1 to pull off the sweep Wednesday night.
After Emmanuel Clase pitched in four consecutive games, Scott Barlow came on to work the ninth. The Guardians are also off Thursday, giving Clase at least two days of rest.
Lane Thomas hit by pitch; Andres Gimenez drives in two more runs
Lane Thomas was hit by a pitch on his arm/wrist, but he's remaining in the game. Later, with two runners on, Andres Gimenez hit a double to the gap in left-center to score both and give the Guardians, who now have a 6-1 lead, some extra breathing room.
Tim Herrin escapes jam; Guardians lead Cubs in eighth inning
The Cubs put a runner on third, but Guardians reliever Tim Herrin was able to escape the inning without any damage. The Guardians will take a 4-1 lead into the bottom of the eighth inning.
Alex Cobb taken out of game in sixth inning
Mid-season acquisitions Alex Cobb and Matthew Boyd have now given the Guardians strong outings in back-to-back games.
Cobb is being taken out with two outs in the sixth inning and Cody Bellinger walking to the plate. He allowed one run on three hits with three strikeouts.
For two pitchers who hadn't thrown a single pitch in a major league game up until recently, they've been about as good as they reasonably could have expected.
Will Brennan triple extends Guardians' lead over Cubs
With Steven Kwan on first after a single, Will Brennan ripped a triple down the right-field line to put the Guardians up 3-1 in the fifth inning.
Brennan is in the No. 2 spot in the lineup tonight, as Lane Thomas has struggled since being acquired. Stephen Vogt's change in the lineup has paid off in the fifth.
Jose Ramirez then scored Brennan with a groundout to make it a 4-1 score.
Guardians take the lead over Cubs with two-run fourth inning
The Guardians have had a real knack recently for responding to a run-scoring inning from their opponents, and that trend continued Wednesday night.
After the Cubs took a 1-0 lead, Josh Naylor tied it in the bottom half of the inning with an RBI double to score Jose Ramirez. Andres Gimenez later followed with an RBI single to score Naylor, and the Guardians have grabbed a 2-1 lead.
Gimenez later stole second base, his 20th steal of the season.
Cubs, Guardians score update: Chicago breaks scoreless tie in the fourth inning
Alex Cobb has been sharp thus far tonight, but a Seiya Suzuki triple but the go-ahead run on third. Cody Bellinger then brought that run home with a sacrifice fly, giving the Cubs a 1-0 lead.
Below is some pregame information
Watch: Machine Gun Kelly throws out first pitch at Guardians-Cubs game
MGK tossed the ceremonial first pitch, but he did so in an interesting manner that was anything but traditional.
Jhonkensy Noel's renewed approach on putting the ball in play has led to breakout 2024 season
Jhonkensy knows he has the power. It took a new focus on contact and mobility to lead to his great rookie season thus far.
Cade Smith among the league's top relievers as a rookie in 2024
Cade Smith has been a massive factor in the Guardians building the league's top bullpen this season.
Along those lines, the Guardians figuring out their starting rotation is their No. 1 priority in an effort to not overwork that bullpen.
Guardians name CC Sabathia to team Hall-of-Fame
CC Sabathia is now in the Guardians' Hall-of-Fame, and he offered a two-part message to Cleveland fans.
Jose Ramirez passes Albert Belle for second place on Guardians all-time home run ranks
Jose Ramirez made history this week by taking sole possession of second place on Cleveland's franchise home run list —and he passed some serious names in Cleveland baseball history along the way.
Grading the Guardians' trades at the 2024 deadline
Here's a breakdown and some grades on the Guardians' deadline moves.
Alex Cobb traded to Cleveland Guardians
Guardians clubhouse reacts to Lane Thomas trade
The Guardians were thrilled (and in a way, relieved) to see Lane Thomas added to the roster.
Jackson grad Dillon Dingler makes MLB debut against Guardians
Jackson High School graduate Dillon Dingler made his major league debut Monday, and he got his big moment in the seventh inning.
Guardians No. 1 overall draft pick Travis Bazzana meets Jose Ramirez, wants to grow the game in Australia
It all finally sank in for Travis Bazzana, the top overall draft pick in the draft, when he stepped onto the field at Progressive Field and met Jose Ramirez and others.
Cleveland Guardians schedule
Major League Baseball released the 2025 schedules.
2024 National Sports Card Convention comes to Cleveland
The National Sports Card Convention was in Cleveland recently. We broke down how we'd spend $100, ranked the most mind-blowing items we could find and listed the top collectibles for under $50.
How can I watch, listen or stream the Cleveland Guardians game today?
The game will be televised on Bally Sports. It'll be broadcast on the radio by WTAM (1100-AM) and WMMS (100.7-FM).
Next game on Guardians schedule
After this three-game series against the Cubs, the Guardians go on the road for a six-game road trip against the Milwaukee Brewers and New York Yankees.
