The Cleveland Guardians have announced the lineup for the second game of a doubleheader against the Detroit Tigers.
The Cleveland Guardians earned a massive win over the Detroit Tigers earlier today, putting together a comeback effort.
Cleveland won the game 7-6, with the team scoring five runs in the 4th inning to get back into it. In the game, shortstop Brayan Rocchio wouldn't be denied.
Rocchio hit a grand slam and a walk-off home run, helping the Guardians storm back for the victory. His timing couldn't be better with Cleveland bring in a tight race for the playoffs.
With the win, the Guardians were able to keep pace in the American League wild-card standings. Cleveland is now getting ready for the second game of the doubleheader against the Tigers, which will kick off at 4:15 p.m. PT/7:15 p.m. ET.
Ahead of the game, the Guardians have revealed the lineup against the Tigers.
Steven Kwan will be leading off, followed by Chase DeLauter, who will be the designated hitter. José Ramírez will be hitting third, playing third base, then comes Jo Adell, playing in right field.
Angel Martinez will be in left-field for Cleveland in this game, hitting fifth. He is followed by David Fry, who will take on first base for the contest.
Rookie Angel Genao will play second, hitting seventh. Then Austin Hedges and Rocchio will round out the roster, hitting eighth and ninth.
Left-hander Foster Griffin will take the mound for Cleveland in this game. Since coming to the Guardians at the trade deadline, Griffin has been excellent, posting a 3.96 ERA over five starts.
Heading into this series with Detroit, the Guardians knew that they needed to be on their A-game. The team has been fighting for playoff positioning for weeks, and with only a few left to go, the clock is ticking.
But manager Stephen Vogt isn't worried, instead he has decided to embrace the situation. Vogt reflected on the Guardians chances to get into the postseason ahead of the Tigers series.
“We control our destiny,” Vogt said. “We're playing a lot of the teams that we're either competing for a Wild Card spot with or that we're chasing in the division. You can't ask for anything more.
“We just need to go play good baseball and win games. We have control over that.”
There are three more games to go against Detroit, and the Guardians need to take things one game at a time. The postseason is the ultimate goal, but making sure to get there is crucial, especially with every game meaning so much right now.
