Cleveland Guardians' Travis Bazzana walks off the Detroit Tigers, but Angel Martinez and Chase DeLauter exit the game early.
CLEVELAND - Friday was a roller coaster of emotions for the Cleveland Guardians down at Progressive Field.
Cleveland was down five runs early in game one of their doubleheader with the Detroit Tigers, and eventually came back to win thanks to a pair of home runs from Brayan Rocchio, including a walk-off blast.
Almost the exact same story unfolded just a few hours later in the nightcap, but this time it was Travis Bazzana who tied the game with a two-run homer, and eventually won the game with a base hit in the 10th inning.
The last time Cleveland walked off both games of a doubleheader was back in 1984.
What made the second game so dramatic wasn't just that Bazzana walked the game off; it was that he wasn't initially in the starting lineup.
Bazzana entered the game for his rookie counterpart, Chase DeLauter, who was removed in the bottom of the sixth inning. The team later announced that DeLauter suffered a right wrist sprain, which is different from the hamstring tightness he's dealt with over the last few weeks.
The good news is that manager Stephen Vogt said after the game that the team hopes DeLauter avoids an IL stint and is considered day-to-day right now.
It would be one thing if DeLauter were the only player Cleveland lost during this win, but Angel Martinez also exited the game early.
And no, this isn't the same story as June 14, when the exact same events transpired, even down to the exact same opponent. (Thankfully, Jose Ramirez escaped this game without an injury, unlike in June.)
Sep 4, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians designated hitter Travis Bazzana (right) celebrates his game-winning single in the tenth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn ImagesBoth Martinez and Brayan Rocchio were calling for a weakly hit fly ball that was quickly dropping in the outfield.
Rocchio made the catch, but directly after, the two players collided. Both players stayed down for a few moments to collect themselves, and then walked back into the dugout for the bottom of the fourth inning.
Martinez actually did take his at-bat, but ended up exiting immediately after grounding out. Nathaniel Lowe entered the game at first base, and David Fry moved out to left field.
The team announced that Martinez was removed for precautionary reasons with a bruised left shoulder.
Martinez has been the definition of a hot and could hitter so far this season. Still, he owns a .2445/.283/.424 slash line,424 slash line, and his 14 home runs still lead the Guardians.
Another stretch-out without the switch-hitter could be difficult for this team to swallow, especially considering that he’s been one of the team’s better overall hitters against left-handed pitching.
Of course, winning both games of the doubleheader helps the Guardians stay in the driver's seat in the playoff race, but Cleveland may need to navigate even more injuries, creating another hurdle for the team to overcome.
