Cade Smith slams door as Guardians go up 2-1 in ALCS

Batters 1-for-28 with 11 Ks in ninth against him

Wire Report IntelligenceUpdated 1h1 min read

Cade Smith is a bad, bad dude. #GuardsBall | #StandGuard https://t.co/dukZb1Dqmi Via @CleGuardians on X

What happened: Cade Smith took the ninth and finished the win that moved the ALCS to 2-1. Cleveland now sits two wins from a World Series berth.

Why it matters: A 2-1 edge transfers series leverage before Game 4. A shutdown ninth also shortens late-inning decisions and keeps the rest of the bullpen fresh for the next two games.

By the numbers: Ninth-inning postseason line against Smith: 1-for-28 with 11 strikeouts.

What to watch: Game 4 will decide whether the lead grows to 3-1 or the series drops back to 2-2.

Sources

@CleGuardians 2026-10-15T19:50:14.032975+00:00

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