If it’s September, that must mean the Cleveland Guardians are in a pennant race. If it’s the Guardians, that must mean they are having success.
After rallying to defeat the Minnesota Twins on Friday, the Guardians are just one-half game behind the first-place Chicago White Sox in the AL Central. In mid-August, Cleveland was six games back.
It is similar to last season, when the Guardians staged a historic rally from 11 games behind in September to overtake the Detroit Tigers and win the division. The year before that, Cleveland pulled away in the final month for a comfortable 6.5-game triumph.
Outfielder Angel Martinez recently sent a clear message about the Guardians’ goal, saying there’s no pressure on them because winning is “what we do.”
“Every single day, we just want to win,” Martinez said. “We’re just going to go out there and try to win. So no pressure at all. Like, that’s how we play. That’s what we do.”
This time around, the Guardians are taking advantage of the team ahead of them losing. The White Sox, coming off back-to-back 100-loss seasons, may be folding under the pressure of their first recent pennant race, as they have lost four in a row and seven of nine after entering September with a 3.5-game lead.
Cleveland has not been markedly better, with a 5-4 mark in that span, but it has put it in position to regain first place as soon as Saturday evening. With another victory against the Twins, the Guardians could be tied for first place before the White Sox take the field to play the St. Louis Cardinals.
It is all setting the stage for the biggest series of the season, when the White Sox visit Progressive Field for a three-game set that begins Monday. Last season, the Guardians won five of six September games against the Tigers on their way to the division title.
Martinez is getting hot at just the right time, with five hits, including three for extra bases, in his past three games. He has already reached career highs with 15 home runs and 52 RBIs, and his current .248 batting average would also be his best mark.
Having learned from the players around him over the past three seasons, Martinez is ready to make an impact in this year’s pennant race.
NEXT: Guardians Re-Arrange Rotation To Save Their 2 Aces For Biggest Series Of The Season
