Sacramento A’s third baseman Zack Gelof makes the catch on a pop up by Cleveland Guardians Jose Ramirez in the bottom of the sixth inning at Progressive Field in Cleveland on Sun Sep 20, 2026 (AP News photo)
Sacramento A’s podcast Barbara Mason:
#1 Cleveland Guardians starter Gavin Williams had his mix of pitches working for him shutting out the Sacramento A’s at Progressive Field on Sunday 1-0.
#2 Taking a look at Williams numbers pitched seven innings, allowed three hits, struck out nine batters and moved into first place as the leading pitcher with 244 strikeouts.
#3 Things are getting tougher for the A’s who were coming off a 7-3 record in their previous ten games when they started this road trip which they started on Tuesday in Tampa Bay getting swept in all six games of the trip.
#4 Frustrations continue for A’s manager Mark Kotsay after A’s pitcher Jack Perkins fielded a slow ground ball in front of the pitcher’s mound but Perkins throw ended up hitting Guardians runner Jo Adell in the back in the basepath. Adell was allowed the base and Kotsay argued he was in the fielders lane rather than the runner’s lane and was ceromoniously tossed out for the third time this season.
#5 The A’s will try it again on Tuesday night at Sutter Health Field in West Sacramento after getting beat in all of their six road games. This time they host the Los Angeles Angels with a 6:40pm PDT start. Starting pitchers for Los Angeles LHP Yusei Kikuchi (1-6 ERA 5.02) for Sacramento LHP Brady Basso (1-3 ERA 4.50).
Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.
⚡Craft cocktails? Check. 🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah. 🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.
Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.
Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.
📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street
Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm
Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in.
Sacramento A’s manager Mark Kotsay (right) argues with first base umpire Jordan Baker (left) after ruling that Cleveland Guardians base runner Jo Adell was in the base line running up first base after getting hit in the back with the ball thrown by A’s pitcher Jack Perkins. Baker ruled Adell was not out and was in the base running lane, Kotsay argued otherwise and was ejected. (AP News photo)
By Mauricio Segura
Gavin Williams kept finding a way to keep the Sacramento A’s off the board this afternoon in Cleveland. The Cleveland Guardians right-hander struck out nine over seven scoreless innings, and Jo Adell’s fourth-inning infield single supplied the only run the Guardians needed to finish a sweep of the A’s in Sunday’s 1-0 victory.
Rain delayed the start, and Williams made up for lost time by striking out Henry Bolte, Shea Langeliers and Lawrence Butler in order in the first. The A’s gave him his first real problem in the second when Zack Gelof singled to left and Donovan Walton followed with another single. Tommy White moved both runners up with a groundout, putting men at second and third with one out. Williams answered by striking out Alika Williams and getting Jonah Heim on a grounder to leave both runners stranded.
Jack Perkins matched Williams through the first three innings and kept Cleveland from turning early traffic into runs. Steven Kwan singled to begin the first and reached third, but Perkins escaped. In the fourth, José Ramírez doubled to right and moved to third on Chase DeLauter’s fly ball.
Adell then chopped a soft ball toward Perkins and reached on an infield single as Ramírez scored. An on-field delay followed, and Athletics manager Mark Kotsay was ejected by plate umpire Stu Scheurwater. Perkins recovered by getting Travis Bazzana to ground into a double play, keeping the deficit at one.
Perkins finished six innings with only that run against him, giving the A’s every chance to answer. That effort continued a better September stretch for the right-hander, who had posted a 4.30 ERA over his first three starts of the month after struggling through much of the summer. He also had thrown a career-high 6 2/3 innings in his previous start. The A’s, though, could not turn his work into support.
Bolte singled in the sixth, extending his September on-base streak to 18 games. He had reached safely in each of his first 17 games of the month before Sunday. Williams then picked him off first base. Butler drew a seventh-inning walk, only to be erased when Cleveland challenged a stolen-base ruling and the call was overturned. By then, A’s baserunners had become increasingly difficult to keep on the bases.
Their best shot was in the eighth. Jeff McNeil pinch-hit and singled off Hunter Gaddis, then Heim doubled to center to put runners at second and third with one out. Carlos Cortes struck out, prompting Cleveland to summon Cade Smith. Smith struck out Bolte to strand both runners and preserve the 1-0 margin.
Elvis Alvarado returned the favor in the bottom half. Kwan singled, Ramírez followed with another hit and DeLauter was intentionally walked to load the bases. Adell popped out to Zack Gelof, giving the A’s one final chance.
Smith stayed on for the ninth and struck out Langeliers before Butler grounded out. Gelof kept the game alive with a two-out single, his second hit of the game, but Walton struck out to end it. The loss completed an 0-6 final road trip for the Athletics after they had already dropped three games in Tampa Bay and the first two in Cleveland.
After Monday’s off day, the A’s host the Angels Tuesday with the A’s Brady Basso (1-3, 4.50 ERA, 28 K) facing the Angels Yusei Kikuchi (1-6, 5.02 ERA, 58 K), with first pitch set for 6:40 p.m. Pacific.
Costa Rican-born Mauricio Segura has been covering sports in the Bay Area since 2001 for a variety of magazines and newspapers, as well as his own publication, Golden Bay Times.
Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.
⚡Craft cocktails? Check. 🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah. 🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.
Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.
Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.
📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street
Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm
Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in.
Sacramento A’s third baseman Zack Gelof makes the throw to first base to retire Cleveland Guardians Jo Adell in the bottom of the sixth inning at Progressive Field in Cleveland on Sat Sep 19, 2026 (AP News photo)
By Mauricio Segura
The Sacramento A’s gave themselves a two-run head start, then the Cleveland Guardians answered with a five-run first inning and never gave control back in a 12-6 Guardians victory. Sacramento opened with four straight two-out hits. Shea Langeliers singled, Lawrence Butler followed with another single, Zack Gelof drove Langeliers home, and Donovan Walton brought Butler across for a 2-0 lead. Walton then stole second, but the inning ended before the Athletics could add more.
Cleveland needed only five batters to erase it. Steven Kwan and José Ramírez singled before Chase DeLauter sent a three-run homer over the center-field wall. Jo Adell followed with a single, and Angel Martínez launched a two-run homer to center for a 5-2 advantage.
Jacob Lopez eventually got through the inning, but the damage had already changed the shape of the game. Lopez had posted a 3.60 ERA over his previous nine starts, yet Cleveland turned that recent success upside down.
Walton kept the A’s within sight. His third-inning single scored Butler and trimmed the deficit to 5-3, giving him two RBI singles in his first two trips. Cleveland responded with another long rally in the bottom half. DeLauter singled,
Martínez doubled, and David Fry drove both runners home with a double to left. Austin Hedges and Brayan Rocchio followed with RBI doubles. Lopez was replaced by Chris Roycroft, but Kwan singled home Rocchio, an inherited runner, leaving Lopez charged with 10 runs in 2 2/3 innings and giving Cleveland a 10-3 lead.
The Athletics did not fold. Alika Williams doubled in the fourth and scored on Henry Bolte’s single. Bolte had been one of Sacramento’s better September hitters, batting .298 with five home runs and seven stolen bases through 16 games. Cleveland answered again when Martínez hit his second homer of the game, this one to right field, pushing the margin to 11-4.
Walton took another swing at the deficit in the fifth. Gelof singled with two outs, and Walton drove a ball to right-center for a two-run homer, cutting Cleveland’s lead to 11-6. The blast completed a 3-for-3 performance for Walton with four RBIs, a home run and a stolen base. His production accounted for four of Sacramento’s six runs before Tommy White pinch-hit for him in the seventh.
There were other bright spots inside a rough score. Langeliers collected two singles and drew a walk after recently returning from surgery on a torn meniscus in his right knee. Bolte supplied an RBI single, while Gelof had two hits and scored twice. Carlos Cortes doubled in the fifth, and Williams doubled twice and scored once. The A’s also loaded the bases in the seventh after walks to Langeliers, Butler and Denzel Clarke, but Brian Serven grounded out to end the inning.
Cleveland added its final run in the sixth when Ramírez singled, moved to second on Adell’s groundout and scored on Martínez’s single to center. Martínez finished with four hits, two home runs, a double and four RBI, while DeLauter’s three-run homer supplied the early blow that flipped the game. After Walton’s fifth-inning homer, the Guardians’ bullpen kept the A’s scoreless over the final four innings. Slade Cecconi retired all six batters he faced in the eighth and ninth.
The trip wraps with brunch-hour baseball Sunday, when Jack Perkins (3-11, 6.14 ERA, 127 strikeouts) takes the mound for the A’s against Gavin Williams (13-8, 3.78 ERA, 235 strikeouts) for Cleveland, with first pitch scheduled for 10:40 a.m. Pacific.
Costa Rican-born Mauricio Segura has been covering sports in the Bay Area since 2001 for a variety of magazines and newspapers, as well as his own publication, Golden Bay Times.
Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.
⚡Craft cocktails? Check. 🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah. 🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.
Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.
Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.
📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street
Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm
Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in.
Cleveland Guardians Jose Ramirez (right) slugs a sixth inning home run off Sacramento A’s pitcher Seth Johnson while A’s catcher Jonah Heim looks on at Progressive Field in Cleveland on Fri Sep 18, 2026 (AP News photo)
Sacramento A’s podcast Tony Harvey:
#1 The Cleveland Guardians Jose Ramirez hit his 1000th RBI when Ramirez homered for the 12th time this season. Ramirez became the second Cleveland player since Earl Averall to hit for 1000 RBIs. Averall leads Cleveland on the all time RBI list with 1,084.
#2 Ramirez and rookie Travis Bazzana each homered as each of those home runs counted as the Guardians beat the Sacramento A’s by two runs on Friday 5-3. With the win the Guardians move one game in front of the White Sox by one game.
#3 Going back to the top of the first inning the A’s Zack Gelof slugged a 393 foot centerfield three run home run while the A’s struck first it wouldn’t last long.
#4 The A’s went through five pitchers allowing ten hits and five earned runs starter Mason Barnett got rocked the most allowing seven hits, three runs, and four strikeouts and raised his ERA to 7.11.
#5 A’s go back to the drawing board Saturday for Sacramento LHP Jacob Lopez (6-4 ERA 5.02) for Cleveland RHP Tanner Bibee (6-15 ERA 4.16) first pitch 3:10pm PDT.
Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.
⚡Craft cocktails? Check. 🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah. 🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.
Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.
Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.
📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street
Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm
Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in.
Cleveland Guardians Brayan Rocchio (right) hits a two run double off A’s pitcher Mason Barnett as A’s catcher Jonah Heim watches at Progressive Field in Cleveland on Fri Sep 19, 2026 (AP News photo)
Gelof Launches Early but Cleveland Takes Over in 5-2 win
By Mauricio Segura
Zack Gelof gave the Sacramento Athletics a three-run lead, but the advantage vanished by the fourth inning and never returned in a 5-3 loss to the Cleveland Guardians. Henry Bolte opened with a walk and Lawrence Butler drew another two batters later, putting two aboard for Gelof. The left fielder sent a fly ball over the center-field wall for his 19th home run of the season, extending the career high he had already set. It was also all the scoring the A’s would produce.
Mason Barnett made that lead stand for three innings while working around steady traffic. Cleveland loaded the bases in the first after walks to Steven Kwan and Chase DeLauter and a Jo Adell single, but Travis Bazzana grounded into a double play.
The Guardians threatened again in the second when Nathaniel Lowe and Brayan Rocchio singled and Kwan drew another walk, yet Barnett struck out José Ramírez to leave the bases full. Barnett had just returned from Triple-A Las Vegas after throwing his first professional complete game, a six-hitter in a 3-2 victory, and followed that outing with three scoreless innings against Cleveland.
The fourth finally broke his grip. Patrick Bailey and Petey Halpin opened with singles, then Rocchio doubled to right to score both runners and cut the A’s lead to 3-2. Barnett struck out Kwan, but Ramírez followed with a ground-ball single to center that brought Rocchio home with the tying run. Barnett’s outing ended there after 3 1/3 innings, seven hits, three earned runs, four walks and four strikeouts.
Scott Blewett got the final two outs of the fourth, but Bazzana put Cleveland ahead in the fifth with a solo homer to center. An inning later, Ramírez added another solo shot, this one to right off Seth Johnson, stretching the Guardians’ lead to 5-3. Luis Medina and Elvis Alvarado kept Cleveland scoreless over the final two innings, but the Athletics’ bats never found a second burst.
Joey Cantillo was the reason. After Daniel Espino allowed Gelof’s homer in the first, Cantillo took over in the second and held the A’s scoreless for six innings. The Athletics managed only two hits against him, singles by Jeff McNeil and Alika Williams, while Cantillo struck out five. Hunter Gaddis handled the eighth, and Cade Smith finished the ninth by striking out Butler and Gelof before McNeil grounded out.
The A’s finished with only three hits, and two potential rallies disappeared on double plays. Tommy White grounded into one after McNeil singled in the fourth, and Shea Langeliers did the same after Bolte was hit by a pitch in the eighth. Butler also was caught stealing in the sixth.
Bolte still reached base twice, extending his September run of reaching safely to 16 games, while Langeliers went hitless and saw his career-best 12-game hitting streak end. The A’s began the game leading the majors with 26 September home runs, and Gelof quickly added another, but Cleveland answered with ten hits and enough power of its own to send the Green and Gold to a fourth straight loss on their final road trip.
The A’s get another crack at Cleveland Saturday behind A’s starter Jacob Lopez (6-4, 5.02 ERA, 107 K) against Guardians starter Tanner Bibee (6-15, 4.16 ERA, 140 K), with first pitch set for 3:10 p.m. Pacific.
Costa Rican-born Mauricio Segura has been covering sports in the Bay Area since 2001 for a variety of magazines and newspapers, as well as his own publication, Golden Bay Times.
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tarik Skubal pitched seven innings of shutout ball against the Cincinnati Reds on Mon Sep 14, 2026 (AP News photo)
That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast:
#1 Can Tarik Skubal continue his dominant postseason form after throwing seven scoreless innings to lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to their record-tying 14th consecutive playoff berth?
#2 Can the Cleveland Guardians overtake the Chicago White Sox in the AL Central during their crucial three-game series, with the division race separated by only a half-game?
#3 Can the New York Yankees officially clinch a playoff berth soon after Cam Schlittler’s spectacular one-hit, six-inning performance against the Mets?
#4 Can the Houston Astros recover from being swept by the Tampa Bay Rays and hold off the Texas Rangers, who are now only one game behind in the AL West?
#5 Can the San Diego Padres maintain their strong wild-card position after sweeping the San Francisco Giants, while Fernando Tatis Jr. and the Padres’ other key hitters continue their late-season surge?.
Amaury Pi-Gonzalez – Cuban-born Pi-González is one of the pioneers of Spanish-language baseball play-by-play in America. Began as Oakland A’s Spanish-language voice in 1977 ending in 2024 (interrupted by stops with the Giants, Mariners and Angels). Voice of the Golden State Warriors from 1992 through 1998. 2010 inducted in the Bay Area Radio Hall of fame.
Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.
⚡Craft cocktails? Check. 🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah. 🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.
Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.
Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.
📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street
Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm
Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in.
San Francisco Giants starter Logan Webb will face the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park in Boston Fri Aug 21, 2026 (AP file photo)
San Francisco Giants podcast Lincoln Juarez:
#1 Willy Adames hit his 20th home run of the season and 200th of his career. How important was his two-run homer in keeping the Giants within striking distance against the Cleveland Guardians?
#2 Landen Roupp allowed four runs—three earned—in 5⅓ innings. What did you think of his overall performance against Cleveland?
#3 Rafael Devers reached base to help set up Adames’ home run. How effective was Devers at creating opportunities for the Giants’ offense?
#4 Jung Hoo Lee contributed a hit in the game. What did you think of Lee’s performance at the plate and in the field?
#5 The Giants struggled offensively against Guardians starter Gavin Williams, who struck out 11. What adjustments could players such as Adames, Devers, Lee and Patrick Bailey have made against Williams?
San Francisco Giants shortstop Willy Adames (left) avoids colliding with Osleivis Basabe (right) against the Cleveland Guardians in the bottom of the fourth inning at Progressive Field in Cleveland on Thu Aug 20, 2026 (AP News photo)
By Barbara Mason
The San Francisco Giants (52-74) and the Cleveland Guardians (61-66) met Thursday in game three, with the series all tied up. Both teams will be looking for more production at the plate in this game. Hits were few and far between as were runs yesterday for each of them.
The Guardians got a start similar to their game one win. They scored three runs in the first inning with Steven Kwan, Travis Bazzana and Patrick Bailey crossing home plate for the early 3-0 lead.
The Giants made this game a whole lot more manageable in the fourth inning. Willy Adames homered with Rafael Devers on base and San Francisco had pulled to within one run.
Cleveland would push their lead back out leading 4-2 going into the bottom of the sixth. Going into the eighth inning Cleveland continued to hang onto the 4-2 lead. The Guardians put up one more insurance run on the scoreboard for the final score 5-2. They had won the game and the series.
GAME RECAP
The Guardians jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning. Landen Roupp walked Steven Kwan and it was on. Travis Bazzana singled followed by a Jose Ramirez single and the Guardians had the bases loaded. Nathaniel Lowe sacrificed both Kwan and Bazzana home for two runs and a 2-0 lead. A Patrick Bailey single drove Ramirez home for the third run and a 3-0 lead. It had been a rough start for Roupp
Roupp pulled it together nicely in the second and third innings going three and out in both. The Guardians starting pitcher Gavin Williams had a great start rolling through the first three innings.
The Giants finally broke through in the fourth inning scoring two runs and only trailed by a single run 3-2. Devers singled in the top of the inning and Willy Adames hit his 200th career home run. The game now was completely within reach of San Francisco.
There was a pitching change for Cleveland in the sixth inning. Williams was relieved by Tim Herrin after 5 2/3 innings. Herrin got out of the inning. Cleveland would score another run in the bottom of the sixth.
Roupp allowed a single followed by a walk and that would be it for him relieved by Sam Hentges who gave up yet another single and Bailey scored the Guardians fourth run of the game. They led 4-2 going into the seventh.
San Francisco went three and out in the seventh still trailing late in the game. Carson Seymour had relieved Hentges in the bottom of the inning closing out the seventh. Going into the eighth inning the Giants needed some production at the plate only six outs away from losing the game and the series.
The Giants got something going in the top of the eighth. Bryce Eldridge walked followed by a Jung Hoo Lee single and San Francisco had two runners on base with two outs. Osleivis Basabe grounded out leaving the two runners stranded.
The Giants JT Brubaker would take the mound in the bottom of the eighth. He faced Patrick Bailey, former Giant, who was having a nice game with two hits. San Francisco suffered a second error in a rundown and the Guardians had Petey Halpin on second with only one out.
Halpin had gotten to second on the error and advanced to third on a wild pitch. A Brayan Rocchio single drove Halpin home and the Guardians were having a very lucrative inning. It had not gone well for JT Brubaker giving up the run. Cleveland took the 5-2 lead into the ninth inning.
San Francisco was three outs away from losing the game going into the top of the ninth. They had been unable to produce timely hits and had not played clean ball really digging themselves into a hole. Victor Bericoto lined out, and Jonah Cox struck out. Christian Koss walked and the Giants were still alive.
Andrew Knizner also walked and San Francisco had two runners on base against one of the best closers in the game Cade Smith. The Giants ran out of luck when Devers flied out and that was the ball game 5-2 in favor of Cleveland.
GAME NOTES
The Giants had struck out 40 times in this series against an amazing pitching squad in Cleveland. It was just to much for San Francisco having to come from behind while trailing 3-0 twice in the series.
In Thursday’s game again they fell behind 3-0 in the first inning. Too many errors today coupled with lack of production at the plate was a real recipe for a losing effort. Pitching has been a real problem with no consistency for the Giants.
Adames has not been playing clean ball lately and it has been tough to watch. San Francisco has had so many injuries and their lineup has been totally decimated, there is just no margin for error right now.
The Giants got close in the fourth inning but let it slip away with errors and lack of offense. Williams struck out 11 Giants in 5 2/3 innings allowing only four hits and two runs. All in all a comeback for San Francisco in this game was a stretch. The Giants were outplayed in the key moments of this game. They only had four hits to the Guardians 9.
Landen Roupp was stung in the first inning but settled down and kept the Guardians from breaking this game open. Adames two run home run was the highlight of the game for the Giants. Unfortunately this was the only offensive highlight for San Francisco.
The Giants will now take it to Boston for a matchup with the Red Sox. San Francisco will be looking to bounce back after this series loss and who better to look to than Logan Webb. He has had some amazing outings. He has a 8-7 win/loss record and a 3.50 ERA. The Sox will start Sonny Gray who has been impressive with a 15-3 win/loss record and a 2.65 ERA. He will be a handful. First pitch for this game is scheduled for 4:10 PM.
San Francisco Giants starter Matt “Tugboat” Wilkinson was dealing agianst the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field in Cleveland on Wed Aug 19, 2026 (AP News photo)
By Barbara Mason
The San Francisco Giants (51-74) took on the Cleveland Guardians (61-65) in game two of their three-game series at Progressive Field this evening. In Wednesday’s matchup San Francisco started Matt “Tugboat” Wilkinson in his MLB debut.
He was just called up from Triple-A and could potentially be a part of their future rotation. Family and friends of Wilkinson were on hand to share what had to be one of the greatest moments of his young life.
The Guardians had Parker Messick on the mound today. Through six innings San Francisco had 5 hits, the Guardians 4. In the fourth inning the Giants got up on the scoreboard taking a 1-0 lead that would persist into the seventh inning and beyond.
Rafael Devers scored on a Victor Bericoto infield single for the only run of the game. It would come down to the relief pitching and the Giants ability to keep Cleveland off the bases protecting that lead.
Going into the bottom of the ninth inning it would be up to Dylan Smith to close out the game for the win. He first pitch was wild but he settled down and finished off this game beautifully.
GAME RECAP
Cleveland pitcher Parker Messick gave up a single in the first inning but got out of it and this game was off and running. The Giants young Matt Wilkinson in his first major league debut faced the top of the Cleveland lineup undaunted going three and out.
The second inning was more of the same a pitcher’s dual. Messick had a three and out inning and the Giant’s Wilkinson started off the bottom of the inning giving up a single but finishing off the next three Cleveland at bats.
There would be a change on the mound for the Giants in the third inning. Messick struck out a couple of Giants to end the top of the inning and Adrian Houser relieved Wilkinson who had a couple of great innings.
San Francisco got the fourth inning started with a Rafael Devers double. He reached third base on a Messick wild pitch. With two outs Victor Bericoto singled Devers home and the Giants had their first lead of the series 1-0.
Chung Hoo Lee doubled and the Giants had runners at second and third but left them both stranded, missing a great opportunity to score another run. In the bottom of the fourth, Houser got into a bit of bind giving up a single and a double back-to-back with two outs but avoided any damage. The Guardians also left runners stranded on second and third.
The battle on the mound continued through the fifth and sixth innings. There would be a change on the mound for the Guardians in the seventh inning. Hunter Gaddis relieved Messick getting out of the inning and in the bottom of the seventh the Giants Houser gave up a single but not much else. It had been a beautifully pitched game by both teams. The Giants’ Wilkinson and Houser had pitched seven innings of shut-out ball.
Going into the eighth inning Willy Adames had his third hit of the game but the Giants were just not getting the timely hits to support their runners. Adrian Houser remained in the game to start the bottom of the eighth but walked the first at-bat. That would be it for Houser who had pitched five innings.
Dylan Smith would relieve Houser in a tough spot with a runner on base and no outs. A wild pitch sent Steven Kwan to second base after walking but Smith closed out the inning with three strikeouts.
San Francisco went three and out in the top of the ninth inning and so Dylan Smith would take the mound looking to protect the 1-0 lead and tie up this series. With one out, Angel Genao singled, Petey Halpin struck out swinging and the Giants were one out away from winning game two. Dylan Smith got the third out, a Patrick Bailey strikeout, and San Francisco had tied up this series winning game two 1-0.
GAME NOTES
Wednesday night’s game show-cased some amazing work on the mound for San Francisco. The most memorable moment was the first major league appearance for Matt “Tugboat” Wilkinson.
He had just been called up from Triple-A but there was not a trace of the jitters seemingly in total control of the two innings he pitched. He allowed just one hit with no runs and walked one.
He had completed two scoreless innings in his debut. You may ask why only two innings when he was pitching so well. It is possible that San Francisco was being cautious with him evaluating him as a young pitcher who could possibly be a part of their future rotation. It looked like it was a planned workload but he was absolutely amazing and it would have been nice to see at least one more inning from him.
The Guardians Parker Messick also had a great showing on the mound only giving up the one run in the fourth inning pitching through 6 2/3 innings. He allowed six hits, one run, no walks and 10 strikeouts.
There was not a lot of offense in this game; we saw more of a good old-fashioned pitching dual and they were all excellent on both sides. In order to win a one-run game the work on the mound has to be impressive and it sure was from Wilkinson, to Houser, to Smith it could not have gone better for the Giants.
Offensively the Giants Victor Bericoto had the hit in the fourth inning that won this game. Willy Adames had three hits in the game and Jung Hoo Lee had a couple. Not a lot of timely hits but the pitching more than made up for it.
Thursday the Giants will be looking to win this series taking game three. Landen Roupp will take the mound for San Francisco. He has a 7-12 win/loss record and a 4.31 ERA. Cleveland will start Gavin Williams. His win/loss record is 11-7 with a 3.74 ERA. First pitch for this game is an early one scheduled for 10:10 AM.
San Francisco Giant Bryce Eldridge is congratulated in the Giants dugout after hitting a second inning home run off Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Foster Griffin at Progressive Field in Cleveland on Tue Aug 18, 2026 (AP News photo)
It was not the series start that the San Francisco Giants (51-74) were looking for as they took on the Cleveland Guardians (61-65) at Progressive Field. Cleveland took an early 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning to jump start the game for the Guardians and they did not look back.
San Francisco did score a run in the second inning but they would not cross home plate for the rest of the game. The Guardians on the other hand scored in the second, fourth and seventh innings finishing the game with eight runs for a final score of 8-1. Joe Adell was a monster at the plate with six RBIs a career high for him and the Giants only managed seven hits to the Guardians 12.
GAME RECAP
The Guardians Jo Adell got this game going in the right direction for Cleveland hitting a three run homer in the bottom of the first inning. This was only the beginning for the Guardians.
San Francisco’s Bryce Eldridge hit a solo home run in the top of the second inning but that would turn out to be the only run for the Giants in this game. Cleveland would add two more runs in the bottom of the second inning. Again Jo Adell was right in the mix singling Steven Kwan and Jose Ramirez home for a 5-1 lead.
San Francisco had the bases loaded in the fourth inning but left them all stranded as the inning went into the bottom. Cleveland was picking starting pitcher for San Francisco Carson Whisenhunt apart.
He gave up another couple of runs in the inning. For a third time it was an Adell single that drove in Brayan Rocchio and a Drew Gilbert error eventually allowed Kwan to cross home plate giving Cleveland a 7-1 lead after only four innings.
There would be a pitching change in the top of the fifth inning for San Francisco with Trent Harris relieving Whisenhunt. Harris went three and out in the bottom of the inning finally stalling out the Guardians hit parade.
Cleveland’s starting pitcher Foster Griffin was cruising also going three and out and it was on to the sixth inning.
The sixth inning was a good one for both starting pitchers with Griffin going another three and out and Harris only giving up a single.
The Guardians made a pitching change in the top of the seventh inning with Matt Festa relieving Griffin who had gone six innings in a great showing. Cleveland would score another run in the bottom of the inning which would turn out to be their final run of the evening.
San Francisco relief pitcher Reiver Sanmartin gave up the one run for the final score 8-1 in favor of Cleveland. SanMartin would also pitch the eighth inning going three and out.
GAME NOTES
It was a rocky outing for San Francisco starting pitcher Carson Whisenhunt. He only pitched four innings giving up nine hits, seven runs, (six earned) and two walks with only one strikeout. Relief pitcher Trent Harris who relieved Whisenhunt had two great innings only giving up one hit and had five strikeouts.
The Guardians starting pitcher Foster Griffin breezed through this game going six innings only giving up the one run. He finished the game giving up five hits, the one run, no walks with six strikeouts.
The highlight of this game was the remarkable performance by Clevelands Jo Adell who finished with one run, three hits, and six RBIs. He was on fire in this game. The Guardians Jose Ramirez also had three hits and two runs.
The Giants Jonah Cox had two hits as did Bryce Eldridge. Eldridge scored San Francisco’s only run of the game.
Wednesday the Giants will be looking for a far better effort than Tuesday night’s game. Matt Wilkinson will take the mound for the Giants. This will be his very first MLB start, his first appearance for San Francisco. He has never pitched in the major leagues before. He did have an excellent season in the minors with 96 strikeouts in 90 innings this year. The Guardians will start Parker Messick. He has a 9-7 win/loss record and a 2.59 ERA. First pitch for this game is scheduled for 3:40 PM.
