The Cleveland Guardians lost three starters to injuries on Saturday afternoon at Progressive Field and still found a way to beat Tarik Skubal and the Detroit Tigers. That says something about the depth of this roster and the character of this team.
The Guardians posted the result on X with two words that captured the afternoon perfectly.
“Took the series! #GuardsBall | #GuardiWWins,” Cleveland Guardians posted.
Took the series!#GuardsBall | #GuardiWWins pic.twitter.com/fXryPrXjeK
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) June 13, 2026
The 3-1 victory improved Cleveland to 39-33 and gave them a series win over Detroit to go along with Friday night’s Tanner Bibee gem. The Guardians are now 6-0 against the Tigers this season and have won 11 of the last 12 games between the two clubs. But the final score was almost secondary to what happened to the roster between the first pitch and the last out.
Chase DeLauter left the game in the first inning after hitting the right field wall while pursuing a Glyeber Torres leadoff double.
📹 Chase Delauter exits with apparent rib injury pic.twitter.com/oonU5ScHOb
— MLB Injury Bot (@MLBInjuryBot) June 13, 2026
He singled to left in his only at bat before departing. Angel Martinez fouled a ball off his left foot in the bottom of the first and gutted through the inning before being replaced by Steven Kwan in the third. Then Jose Ramirez, who blooped a key double into right field in the third inning, left in the sixth with an undisclosed injury that the team made no announcement about.
Through all of it, the Guardians held a lead they refused to surrender.
Joey Cantillo delivered when Cleveland needed him most, allowing just one run on six hits across five innings while striking out four and walking nobody. He improved to 5-3 with a 4.38 ERA. Colin Holderman worked a scoreless sixth Hunter Gaddis and Tim Herrin bridged the gap before Cade Smith worked the final 1.1 innings for his 23rd save in 25 chances.
Daniel Schneemann went 1-3 with two RBI and a home run. Travis Bazzana went 1-3 with a walk, a run, and a stolen base. The Guardians scratched and clawed with whoever was available and came out the other side with a series victory.
The injury status of DeLauter, Martinez, and Ramirez will be the dominant storyline heading into Sunday’s series finale. But for one afternoon in mid-June, Cleveland demonstrated exactly why organizational depth is not just a talking point. It is a survival skill.
NEXT: Guardians Star Could Still Emerge In AL's MVP Race
