The Cleveland Guardians will take on the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday afternoon at Comerica Park to continue their American League Division Series.
Now, it’s essentially a best-of-three affair as the Guardians took the first game over the weekend and the Tigers tied it in impressive fashion on Monday.
Alex Cobb, who posted a 2.76 ERA in 16.1 innings for the Guards in the regular season will take the ball for Cleveland.
On the other team, it will be Keider Montero toeing the rubber at home.
The Guardians have already announced their lineup.
By looking at it, it’s clear that manager Stephen Vogt is trying to mount a serious threat early in the game and attack Montero.
Guardians Game 3 lineup
1. LF Steven Kwan
2. DH Kyle Manzardo
3. 3B José Ramírez
4. 1B Josh Naylor
5. CF Lane Thomas
6. 2B Andrès Giménez
7. RF Will Brennan
8. C Bo Naylor
9. SS Brayan RocchioSP Alex Cobb
— Zack Meisel (@ZackMeisel) October 9, 2024
The name that resonates the most is, without a doubt, Kyle Manzardo in the second hole.
Manzardo’s end-of-the-season numbers in Cleveland weren’t all that impressive (.703 OPS in 53 games), but he was brilliant once he returned from a long stint in Triple-A down the stretch.
He was called back up on September 1, and since that date, he slashed a cool .270/.333/.540 with five home runs and a .873 OPS.
His left-handed bat can sure invite Guardians fans to dream about some hard contact against the Tigers’ rookie righty.
There is a strong case to be made that the Guardians’ top five hitters are right where they belong: Steven Kwan is a weapon at the leadoff spot, Manzardo looks promising as a second hitter against righties, and Jose Ramirez, Josh Naylor and Lane Thomas are all capable of changing the course of a game with a single contact.
The Guardians are looking for that second win that puts them in pole position for a spot on the AL Championship Series.
Will they get it?
NEXT: Guardians Veteran To Make First Postseason Start In 11 Years On Wednesday
