Rocctember! Rocchio's 2-HR heroics fuel 6-run comeback

CLEVELAND -- Its arrival has become an annual event in northeast Ohio, something you can count on with as much assurance as the forthcoming gray skies and the chilly air of winter.

Welcome to Rocctember, Cleveland.

Guardians shortstop Brayan Rocchio has made it an annual tradition to take his game up a few notches down the stretch, and he has fittingly earned the “Playoff Rocchio” moniker for his postseason heroics of recent vintage. Friday, he was at it again.

Rocchio hit a walk-off solo home run and his first career grand slam, in his first career multihomer game, to send the Guardians to a 7-6 win over the Tigers in Game 1 of a doubleheader at Progressive Field.

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Rocchio became the sixth player in MLB history to hit a walk-off home run after hitting a grand slam in the same game, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. He joined George Kelly (June 14, 1924), Hank Greenberg (Aug. 19, 1938), Minnie Miñoso (April 19, 1960), Otto Velez (May 4, 1980) and Jack Clark (July 31, 1991).

The Guardians increased their lead for the American League’s third Wild Card spot to one game over the Jays and Rangers (both of whom will play Friday night). Cleveland also entered Game 2 of the twin bill 2 1/2 games behind the AL Central-leading White Sox.

Friday's Game 1 heroics could prove to be massive for Rocchio in their own way.

“I haven’t had a very good second half, but the most important thing is to keep working hard, believing in the process,” Rocchio said. “That's a big moment for me.”

Rocchio was one of the Guardians’ steadiest hitters to start the season. He hit .276 with a .751 OPS in 94 games before the All-Star break and found a home in the No. 9 spot in the lineup. After José Ramírez, Chase DeLauter and Angel Martínez each got hurt on June 13, manager Stephen Vogt had to compromise for a lineup that was suddenly a lot thinner.

Rocchio began to bat anywhere from second to sixth. His production sagged, and it’s been a bit of a struggle for him. He entered Friday hitting .177 with a .470 OPS in 39 games since the break. His frustration was evident during Thursday’s 6-3 loss to the Blue Jays.

Rocchio struck out with runners on the corners to end the fifth inning. He slapped his bat and threw it to the ground after the strikeout. Teammates Austin Hedges and Nathaniel Lowe calmed him after.

“I told them, ‘Bro, I feel so so comfortable at the plate. But I don't have the results,’” Rocchio said. “I had a good conversation at that moment, and they gave me confidence. They’re two veteran guys. They have a lot of time in the big leagues. They know how I feel, so that was special for me. I give credit to them.”

The Guardians fell into a 6-1 hole by the third inning on Friday, as starter Logan Allen allowed four runs in the first and lasted just 2 1/3 innings. The deficit was 6-2 when Rocchio came to the plate in the fourth. Tigers starter Keider Montero threw him a changeup followed by two curveballs.

Montero hung the second one, and Rocchio blasted it a Statcast-projected 366 feet over the right-field wall.

Slade Cecconi, Erik Sabrowski, Craig Yoho and Cade Smith held serve in relief after Allen’s tough start. Fittingly, Rocchio came to the plate in the ninth. He wasted no time by launching a first-pitch four-seamer from lefty Drew Sommers a Statcast-projected 405 feet over the 19-foot left-field wall.​

As the ballpark broke out in bedlam, Rocchio emphatically chucked his bat above his head. It marked the 20th time in club history that a player went deep from both sides of the plate in one game. José Ramírez (June 8, 2023, vs. the Red Sox) did so most recently.

“Every season has a different story. There's going to be ups and downs,” Vogt said. “[Rocchio] has remained consistent with his work. He's remained consistent with his attitude. What a cool day for him today. That was really fun.”

Rocchio hit .375 during the five-game AL Division Series vs. the Tigers in 2024. In 2025, he hit a walk-off three-run homer in the regular-season finale, when Cleveland celebrated its historic comeback to win the AL Central.

The big moments seem to find him this time of year.

“When it’s a clutch situation and he’s up, we believe it’s going to happen,” Sabrowski said. “It happened today.”