The Cleveland Guardians needed a win on Friday in Game 1 of their doubleheader against the Chicago White Sox.
They were riding a three-game winning streak after sweeping the Houston Astros this week, and needed to keep up the momentum to get closer to .500.
Yes, they needed their much-maligned offense to rise to the occasion, which they did partially by scoring four runs and hitting three homers.
However, they also required their fifth starter, Logan Allen, to come through, too.
Fortunately for them, he did what he has been doing all year: giving his team a chance to win.
“Allen goes 6 IP, 1 H, 2 R/2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 1 HR,” Guardians insider Tim Stebbins posted on X.
Allen goes 6 IP, 1 H, 2 R/2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 1 HR
— Tim Stebbins (@tim_stebbins) July 11, 2025
Those four runs that Cleveland scored on Friday afternoon were enough thanks to Allen’s dominance.
The only hit he conceded all afternoon was a two-run homer, but he was so good over the rest of the game that the big blast didn’t matter.
Allen deserves a lot of credit for giving the Guardians a chance to take their record to 44-48.
He hasn’t been a star, but his 4.00 ERA in 90 frames has represented steady production from the back of their rotation.
After his horrible 2024, which included a 5.73 ERA, seeing Allen get back on track has been a breath of fresh air.
In all fairness, the Guardians’ entire pitching staff is doing a commendable job this season.
If the team is going to make a miraculous comeback after its horrible late-June, early-July slump, they are going to need the offense to step up.
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