Zack Greinke walked off the mound at Kauffman Stadium in the fourth inning Wednesday, acknowledging the ovation from a sparse late-September crowd, and then watched Royals reliever Angel Zerpa completely befuddle the Guardians the rest of the way in a 6-2 victory that wrapped up a three-game series sweep. If it was Greinke's last start for Kansas City, it certainly was memorable.
The Guardians are hoping some Angels throwaways can help their playoff push. Trying to chase down Minnesota in the AL Central race, Cleveland claimed starter Lucas Giolito and relievers Matt Moore and Reynaldo López off waivers from Los Angeles on Thursday, acquisitions that didn't cost the Guardians any prospects.
The Cleveland Guardians aren't conceding, despite all that has gone wrong for the defending AL Central champions this season. Kole Calhoun, of all players, sure won't allow it. Calhoun hit a three-run home run in the 10th inning to cap a late comeback against the Minnesota bullpen, and the Guardians beat the Twins 5-2 on Wednesday to trim their division deficit to five games.
When Kole Calhoun got back to the dugout, Guardians manager Terry Francona was waiting for him with a fist bump and slap on the back. Calhoun's towering three-run homer capped a five-run seventh inning as Cleveland rallied for an 8-3 win on Tuesday night and cooled off the Los Angeles Dodgers, who lost for just the third time in August. Calhoun, who was acquired earlier this month in a trade from the NL West leaders for cash, connected off reliever Caleb Ferguson as the Guardians came from behind to stun baseball's hottest team.
Wander Franco hit a leadoff homer in the bottom of the ninth and the AL wild-card-leading Tampa Bay Rays beat the Cleveland Guardians 9-8 after a bullpen meltdown in the top of the inning Friday night. Franco homered to right off Nick Sandlin (5-5) for his first career walkoff shot. Through a translator, Franco said it was his first walkoff hit since he played with Class A Bowling Green.