Martinez and Cantillo Shine in Victory
The Cleveland Guardians have booked their spot in the playoffs for the third consecutive year. They did it on Thursday night, grinding out a tight 1-0 win over the Boston Red Sox.
Angel Martinez was the star on the offensive side. He hit his 18th home run of the season in the second inning, which proved to be the only run of the game.
On the mound, Daniel Espino started the game and pitched one inning. Joey Cantillo then took over in a bulk relief role. Cantillo, who is now 11-9, was excellent. He allowed just one hit and struck out four batters over five scoreless innings. He has now thrown 15 consecutive scoreless innings since leaving the starting rotation.
The Race for the Division Title
This win ensures Cleveland has at least an American League wild card spot. They still hold a one-game lead over the Chicago White Sox in the AL Central division. Winning the division is a major target, as it likely brings the number two seed and a direct bye into the Division Series. However, Chicago holds the head-to-head tiebreaker.
To seal the win on Thursday, All-Star closer Cade Smith came in for the ninth inning. He struck out the side to secure his 41st save of the year, which leads the major leagues.
The Red Sox had already secured their playoff spot earlier in the week for the second year in a row. They are now trying to lock down their seeding. Boston is currently three games ahead of Chicago for the second wild card spot in the American League. That spot would give them the number five seed and a trip to face the number four seed New York in a best-of-three series.
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