After being stifled at the plate for most of the week, the Cleveland Guardians finally erupted for a six-run third inning Saturday night at Progressive Field. But the long-awaited offensive breakthrough was undone by a devastating bullpen collapse, as the St. Louis Cardinals roared back from a five-run deficit to win 9–6, sending Cleveland to a third straight loss.
Coming into the game, the Guardians had been held scoreless for 21 consecutive innings. That streak ended emphatically in the third when Gabriel Arias and Kyle Manzardo launched back-to-back home runs, part of a six-run frame that electrified the home crowd and gave Cleveland what appeared to be a commanding 6–1 lead.
Arias’ blast, a two-run shot to left-center, was quickly followed by Manzardo’s solo homer — the first multi-homer inning for Cleveland since mid-June. RBI singles by Brayan Rocchio and Steven Kwan capped off the rally.
“That’s the kind of inning we’ve been waiting for,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said postgame. “Great swings, great momentum. Just couldn’t hold it.”
But the lead unraveled quickly in the middle innings.
In the top of the fifth, the Cardinals pounced on reliever Tyler Beede, who gave up a two-run single to Alec Burleson to cut the lead to 6–3. The sixth inning brought more chaos: a combination of walks, bloop hits, and missed opportunities fueled an explosive five-run frame for St. Louis.
Victor Scott II delivered the tying blow with a two-run double off the left field wall, and Brendan Donovan’s sacrifice fly brought in the go-ahead run.
“We just didn’t make pitches when we needed to,” Vogt admitted. “They took advantage of every mistake.”
Willson Contreras provided insurance with a towering solo home run in the ninth — his second homer in as many nights — silencing the home crowd.
With the loss, Cleveland falls to 40–41, dipping below .500 for the first time since April. The Guardians have now lost three straight and continue to struggle against National League opponents.
“We need to reset and get back on track,” said Vogt. “This team has fight, but we’ve got to clean it up — fast.”