Guardians Win Game and Statis-Pro Series 2-1

 The Cleveland Guardians advanced in the Statis-Pro playoffs the day before they hope to do the same in the real playoffs.

After the offenses dominated the first two games, the two PB 2-8 No. 3 pitchers threw quality starts for a pitchers duel with the teams combining for only 7 hits.

For the second time the Game 1 injury to Brayan Rocchio was a blessing in disguise as light hitting Gabriel Arias' great E3 rating at shortstop preventing a key error. In game 1 he turned a double play on what would have been a error and in this game he caught a line drive in the second inning with a runner on second base. 

Grayson Rodriguez retired the first 11 Guardians before Josh Naylor broke up the perfect game with a double to left. Kyle Manzardo then hit a ball back at the pitcher  that required a clutch defensive play that went through for an RBI single.

In the bottom of the 4th, the Orioles answered with one swing of the bat as former White Sox DH Eloy Jimenez homered to make it 1-1.

The Guardians then used a strategy rarely used any more - the hit and run - to score in the top if the 5th.

Tyler Freeman walked and the light-hitting used his Hit & Run 2 (the best contact rating) to ground a single through the right side opened up by Freeman breaking for second base. Arias then broke for second and future hall of famer Jose Ramirez grounded the ball to first with no chance at the double play as Freeman scored the final run for a 2-1 lead.

While former Oriole Alex Cobb dominated his former teammates for a 2-hitter, he hit his max 6 IP meaning he came out as a PB 2-7 to start the 7th inning. He hit Jimenez with a pitch (yes the at bat after he homered) to lower to a PB 4-7 with the heart of the lineup coming up, so the Guardians went with dominant closer Emmanuel Clase - a PB 2-9.

Clase got out of the inning but allowed one runner to take his RR (endurance) to 0 which made his PB 2-8. He then went through the 8th inning 1-2-3 to only drop to PB 2-7 if he came out for the 8th, but instead Logan Allen came in with a PB 2-7 and retired the Orioles 1-2-3 for the save and send the Guardians onto face the Mariners.

The Twins await the winner of our final opening round series - the Cardinals vs. the Astros.