DETROIT -- Maybe the Guardians didn’t arrive in Detroit this week looking to make a statement. But when they left Comerica Park on Thursday, it was not hard not to be impressed.
The Guardians beat the Tigers, 3-1, on Thursday to secure Cleveland's first four-game sweep of Detroit since July 15-18, 2019 and their first at Comerica Park since Sept. 1-3, 2017 (which included a doubleheader). Cleveland won its sixth straight game to improve to 30-22 this season, while a Detroit team that many picked to win the AL Central title this preseason fell to 20-31.
Comerica Park has been good to the Guardians over the past year, and you could even go further back to Cleveland’s win in Game 4 of the ALDS two years ago that kept its season alive. The Guardians have won 10 of their past 11 regular-season games in this ballpark.
Shortstop Brayan Rocchio jumpstarted the Guardians’ offense with a 3-for-3 day out of the No. 9 spot in the lineup. He hit a two-out double in the third inning and scored immediately on a double by leadoff man Daniel Schneemann -- who scored on a José Ramírez RBI single.
Catcher Patrick Bailey provided an insurance run with a leadoff homer in the eighth inning.
Starter Joey Cantillo threw 5 2/3 scoreless innings despite his pitch count sitting at 47 through two frames. He worked around three hits and three walks and struck out six on 98 pitches (including 67 strikes). Matt Festa, Shawn Armstrong, Tim Herrin, Codi Heuer and Hunter Gaddis closed the win out for Cleveland.