It was right there for the taking, and Cleveland let it slip away.
The Guardians held a three-run lead heading into the bottom of the eighth inning at Busch Stadium on Tuesday night, only to watch the bullpen surrender it in stunning fashion before ultimately dropping a 6-5 decision to the St. Louis Cardinals in extra innings. The loss dropped Cleveland to 10- 8 on the season and ended any talk of a sweep heading into Wednesday’s series finale.
Rubber match tomorrow afternoon.#GuardsBall pic.twitter.com/CexRNO83Rp
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) April 15, 2026
The painful sequence started with Erik Sabrowski, who had been one of the more reliable arms in this bullpen through the early weeks of the season. JJ Wetherholt took him deep for a two-run home run, his second blast of the game, cutting a three-run Cleveland lead down to one in a matter of seconds. It was the first earned runs Sabrowski had allowed all season, and it came at the worst possible moment.
Cade Smith entered in the ninth with a chance to close it out and retired the first two batters he faced. Cleveland was one out away from a win. Then Masyn Wynn hit a ball that found its way through Juan Brito’s legs and into right field for a critical error. Wynn advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored when Yohel Pozo followed with a line drive double to center, tying the game at 5-5. It was Smith’s second blown save in five chances on the season, and the error from Brito that set it all in motion made it even more painful.
The Cardinals then won it in extra innings, sending the Guardians to a loss that felt very much like it got away from them.
The frustrating ending overshadowed what had been a good offensive performance for much of the night.
Jose Ramirez opened the scoring with a first-inning home run, his third of the season.
Daniel Schneemann followed with his first home run of the season in the second inning.
Steven Kwan provided one of the defensive highlights of the night when he made a diving catch on a sinking line drive by Alec Burleson in the sixth, then popped up and fired to second base to double off Wetherholt, who had strayed too far from the bag.
Potential game saving play by Cleveland #Guardians CF Steven Kwan!#GuardsBall pic.twitter.com/kqjdV85prb
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) April 15, 2026
The story of the game, unfortunately, came down to two plays in the ninth inning that Cleveland will want back.
The series finale comes on Wednesday. Cleveland still has a chance to take two out of three in St. Louis and move on to the next chapter of this road trip with something to show for it.
NEXT: Stephen Vogt Addresses Hunter Gaddis' Status After Joining Team
