The Cleveland Guardians kept their postseason alive with a 6-1 victory over the Detroit Tigers in Game 2 of the AL Wild Card Series on Wednesday.
Cleveland fell in a tight opener but responded with a performance that forces a decisive Game 3 on Thursday.
The game remained competitive through seven innings before the Guardians broke through with a five-run eighth inning that put the contest out of reach.
Following the victory, Steven Kwan reflected on the offensive surge that defined the eighth inning and highlighted the key swings from his teammates.
“I think I got the best view on (Brayan) Rocchio’s. It was a sweet, perfect arc to right field. That was close, that was huge. That guy’s throwing 100, you gotta be on time for one of those. And then Bo (Naylor), I mean, I don’t even know how he hits that out with one hand. But I mean, those are special swings for sure,” Kwan said.
Steven Kwan breaks down the biggest moments from an electric Game 2 victory! #Postseason pic.twitter.com/Y1xzdO2pWQ
— MLB (@MLB) October 1, 2025
Brayan Rocchio delivered the pivotal blow in the eighth, crushing a go-ahead home run off Detroit reliever Troy Melton.
With the game tied 1-1 and one out, Rocchio hammered a 99.9 mph fastball 379 feet into the right-field stands.
The home run marked his second in three games after delivering a three-run shot in the 10th inning on Sunday that secured a 9-8 win over Texas in the regular-season finale.
Bo Naylor followed Rocchio with a solo homer in the same frame, extending Cleveland’s lead and providing insurance runs.
George Valera also connected for a home run during the rally, capping the five-run outburst.
The offensive explosion gave the Guardians clear control after grinding through seven innings of tight baseball.
Tanner Bibee gave Cleveland a strong start on the mound, allowing just one run over 4 2/3 innings.
The bullpen followed with scoreless work to preserve the lead and shut down Detroit’s offense.
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