The Cleveland Guardians have a new late-game hero.
Kyle Manzardo is capping off his strong season with some timely hitting, and it was on full display again in a much-needed win over the Tampa Bay Rays.
Manzardo drove in the game-winning run to secure a 4-3 triumph over the AL East foes and, more importantly, string wins together after dropping six games in a row.
As a result, the young first baseman has now joined a very exclusive list of Guardians players, according to Paul Hoynes:
“Manzardo is the sixth Cleveland player since 1974 to have at least three walk-off hits in the same season. He joins Jim Thome, Omar Vizquel, Manny Ramirez, Albert Belle and Cory Snyder,” Hoynes wrote.
Manzardo had a tough time getting on the field earlier in the season.
Stephen Vogt didn’t seem to trust him as a full-time player, and he continued to turn to the aging and struggling Carlos Santana over him.
Now, Santana’s evident struggles and Manzardo’s late-season surge have made him almost impossible to bench.
This has been an up-and-down season for the team, especially on offense, so they can’t afford to have one of their timely hitters off the field.
The Guardians are still in the mix to secure a playoff berth, and Manzardo could be crucial to those aspirations with his late-game heroics.
He’s becoming one of the rare hitters who can hit for power or contact, and that’s not something many Guardians players can brag about right now.
The Guardians will now get the day off to brace themselves for a three-game home series with the Seattle Mariners.
They’re back to .500, and even though it won’t be easy, they’re still alive in the AL wild-card race.
NEXT: Chase DeLauter Gets Honest About His Future With Guardians
