Travis Bazzana Recaps First Walk Off HR With Guardians

Saturday was setting up to be a disappointing day for all at Progressive Field. The Cleveland Guardians dropped game one of their doubleheader against the Pittsburgh Pirates and were on track to do the same during the nightcap after multiple rain delays. 

That was until the Guardians rallied for three runs in the eighth inning and tied the game at three apiece. Heading into the bottom of the ninth inning, all Cleveland needed was one run to head home with smiles on their faces, and Travis Bazzana helped do just that.

With Steven Kwan standing on second base, Bazzana blasted a ball over the center field wall to give Cleveland the 5-3 victory. This home run not only tied the series, but was Bazzana’s first walk-off home run of his young big league career.

“I feel good in those late moments up to bat,” Bazzana said after the game. “It was an awesome one with it being a Saturday night, long day. Kind of a comeback win today. So it was great.”

What made Bazzana’s home run so exciting was how fast it happened. Patrick Bailey had just gotten thrown out at the plate after trying to score on Kwan’s double. Cleveland waited, but ultimately decided not to review it, and then Bazzana hit the home run on the first pitch.

This entire sequence happened in a matter of two minutes. Even for a seasoned veteran, that quick chain of events could speed them up at the plate, but not for the rookie Bazzana.

“It does happen quick but I was just trying to stay focused on my at-bat at whole throughout,” he explained.

“I got a second when potentially we were going to review it. It's like get a second to ‘All right what's my plan? How am I going to win this at bat, score Kwany?’ Yeah, took the first one down and then got a good pitch to hit.”

Bazzana admitted that during the swing, as he rounded the bases, and at the beginning of the celeration, it was all kind of a blur, and he blacked out a little bit, too. 

Even though Bazzana spent last week in Philadelphia as a member of the American League All-Star team, he wasn’t swinging a very hot bat heading into the break. That’s something he acknowledged after hitting this walk-off home run, too.

“Before the break, I obviously wasn't swinging the hottest bat and trying to work through some things,” continued Bazzana.

“I felt like the All-Star game was very exciting, and some memories I will cherish forever, and I think it allowed me to kind of reset, see some things. I feel strong coming back for the second half, so it was nice to have a good day at the play and get a get one that would help us win tonight.”

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