Cleveland kept its remarkable stretch alive Monday night in Anaheim, beating the Angels 4-2 to extend its winning streak to five games and push the Guardians back to a .500 record for the first time since August 4. The win also carried some extra meaning for Jo Adell, who returned to the ballpark where he spent the first several years of his career and delivered exactly the kind of performance Cleveland has come to expect from him.
Adell drove in a run to push his total to 18 since arriving from the Angels on August 3, continuing to make the trade look better by the day. Austin Hedges added a two-run homer that carried extra significance given his own ties to Southern California, and Parker Messick worked six strong innings to pick up his tenth win of the season, improving to 2 and 0 against his former opponent this year with a 2.13 ERA across two starts.
How about five of them thangs?#GuardsBall | #GuardiWWWWWins pic.twitter.com/wJKdPX4DsQ
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) August 25, 2026
Manager Stephen Vogt kept the moment in perspective after the win, even as the record itself carried plenty of weight for a team that had spent much of the summer well below the mark.
“All that means is that we’re at 500,” Vogt said.
Cleveland has now won five straight and six of its last seven games, all against second-division opponents, pulling the Guardians to within 2 and a half games of the division-leading White Sox. The win also handed Cleveland sole possession of the third and final American League wild card spot after Texas moved into first place in the AL West with a win over Chicago, giving the Guardians a half-game lead over Houston in that race.
Adell put Cleveland back in front in the fifth with a single that scored Brayan Rocchio, and Hedges delivered the decisive blow in the sixth with a two-run homer to right-center, his fifth of the season and first since July 24. The moment carried personal significance for Hedges, who grew up about 15 minutes from Angel Stadium and had both of his parents in the stands to watch it live. Cade Smith worked around a sacrifice fly in the ninth for his 34th save in 39 chances, with Kwan making a leaping catch at the left field fence to rob Christian Moore of a potential game-tying homer.
Cleveland continues its series in Anaheim Tuesday night behind Gavin Williams, looking to extend its winning streak even further as the Guardians continue their push toward a return trip to the postseason.
NEXT: Jo Adell Is Looking Forward To One Guardians Matchup This Week
