Cleveland blows 9th-inning lead, loses 10th consecutive game

Yahoo

6 days ago

CLEVELAND — What's the worst thing to see after a month of being arguably the worst offense in baseball? Arguably the best starting pitcher on the mound would be pretty high up on the list.
The Guardians are last in the majors in runs scored over the last month, they're on a nine-game losing streak and they've been shut out five times during that stretch — and now they'll face Tarik Skubal and the Detroit Tigers on July 6 at Progressive Field.
Follow along here for live score updates, analysis and highlights from the Guardians-Tigers game on July 6.
Tigers beat the Guardians
The Guardians have lost to the Tigers 7-2. Their losing streak has reached 10 games. Considering the circumstances, this is without question the most back-breaking loss of Cleveland's season thus far.
Cade Smith leaves game after being hit with a comebacker
And now Cade Smith is leaving the game after being hit with a comebacker. He walked off under his own power.
Tiger crush Cade Smith for six-run 10th inning
In a pretty stunning inning, the Tigers have knocked around Cade Smith for six runs.
After Trey Sweeney's three-run home run, Riley Greene added another home run to put the Tigers up 7-1, completely stunning Progressive Field.
In the top of the ninth, the Guardians were one strike away from a shutout win, and they're now trailing 7-1 in the 10th.
Trey Sweeney hits 3-run home run off Cade Smith in 10th inning
The Tigers have a 4-1 lead in the 10th. The visiting dugout is going wild, the home dugout is dejected.
With Cade Smith on the mound, Javy Baez blooped a single to right field to put runners on the corners (including the free runner). Trey Sweeney, a left-handed hitter, then sliced a three-run home run off the left-field foul pole for a home run, giving the Tigers their first lead of the day in the 10th inning.
This would feel like a back-breaking loss for the Guardians if they can't recover.
Guardians, Tigers going to extra innings
The Guardians nearly won it in the top of the ninth, and they nearly won it in the bottom of the ninth, but this game is going to extra innings.
Angel Martinez opened the bottom of the ninth with a double to right field to put the potential winning run in scoring position. Nolan Jones and Bo Naylor, collectively, could only move him to third. With two outs, Daniel Schneemann lined a ball to the left side, but it was caught by Javier Baez.
The Guardians and Tigers head to the 10th tied 1-1. Cade Smith is entering the game.
Tigers tie it in the 9th on a wild pitch by Emmanuel Clase
The Guardians were one strike away from snapping their nine-game losing streak and beating Tarik Skubal and the Tigers — and then it quite literally slipped through their fingers, in a way.
Emmanuel Clase, in the top of the ninth, put the tying run on base via a hit-by-pitch. Pinch runner Zach McKinstry then stole second and moved to third on a grounder. With two outs and the tying run 90 feet away, Clase had two strikes on Parker Meadows looking to end the game, but a pitch in the dirt trickled behind catcher Bo Naylor, and McKinstry scored the tying run.
Steven Kwan gives Guardians lead over Tigers in 8th inning
The Guardians were able to get Tarik Skubal out of the game, and they've taken the lead in the eighth inning.
Austin Hedges singled and was followed by Brayan Rocchio, who drew a walk against Tigers reliever Bailey Horn. That led to Steven Kwan, who ripped a double to right field to score the first run of the game and give the Guardians a 1-0 led.
Kwan is 3-for-4 today.
The Guardians pitching staff has put together another terrific day, and this time, Cleveland might be able to actually highlight it. Emmanuel Clase is warming in the bullpen.
Hunter Gaddis pitches 6th inning; Tarik Skubal escapes jam as Guardians, Tigers still tied
Hunter Gaddis pitched a quick seventh, and Tarik Skubal pitched around a double from Angel Martinez by striking out Johnathan Rodriguez to end the inning, and the Guardians and Tigers will go to the eighth inning with both teams still searching for the first run of the day.
It feels like the the first team to score, wins.
Skubal now has a 10-strikeout day with three hits allowed in even innings. It's his 13th double-digit strikeout game this season, which leads the majors.
Tarik Skubal, Gavin Williams in a pitcher's duel; Guardians, Tigers scoreless through 6 innings
Tarik Skubal and Gavin Williams have both been outstanding today, with each delivering six shutout innings. Williams walked three but allowed only one hit along with eight strikeouts, throwing 97 pitches. Hunter Gaddis is entering the game for the Guardians to open the seventh inning.
Skubal has given up just two base runners all day (two singles). He's also struck out eight. Skubal, though, has been more efficient, only needing 78 pitches to get to the seventh inning.
It's been a pitching masterclass from both starters. And the Guardians pitching staff continues to be excellent, the offense simply hasn't been there to make it count.
Steven Kwan makes highlight reel catch while crashing into left-field wall
Gavin Williams is through the third inning, in part thanks to Steven Kwan, who made a tremendous catch while hitting the left-field wall to rob Colt Keith of extra bases.
Guardians, Tigers score: Gavin Williams, Tarik Skubal through 2 scoreless innings
Tarik Skubal is through two hitless innings with two strikeouts. Gavin Williams has nearly matched up, only allowing a walk through his first two frames.
Below is some pregame information.
MLB Standings: American League Central
The American League Central Division standings entering July 6:
Tigers 56-34
Twins 43-46 (12.5)
Royals 42-48 (14)
Guardians 40-47 (14.5)
White Sox 30-59 (25.5)
Guardians news: 'He's a very old man': Carlos Santana has career month in May 2025
Guardians schedule | Upcoming games
The Guardians host the the division-leading Detroit Tigers for three games over the July 4th weekend before heading on the road for a seven-game trip to Houston (three games) and then Chicago to face the White Sox (four games), which will lead into the All-Star break.
How can I watch, stream or listen to the Guardians vs Tigers game?
The game on July 6 can be viewed locally on AT&T U-verse (channel 1736), COX (channel 80), DIRECTV Satellite and Streaming (channel 662), FuboTV and Spectrum (channel 1306). It can also be streamed via MLB's direct-to-consumer streaming subscription (CLEGuardians.TV) for $99.99 a season or $19.99 a month. And it'll be available on the radio via WTAM 1100, WMMS 100.7 and WARF 1350.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cleveland Guardians score vs Detroit Tigers highlights, game updates