After another miserable start, 3 more homers and 4 runs in 3 innings, Giolito actually pitched successfully retiring 11 in a row. of course the offense failed to take advantage of the opportunity.
Need to check the magic number to clinch 2nd place, it's higher than the Twins' to clinch first.

Straw should have got the save yesterday. Great leaping grab to start the ninth. Great diving grab earlier in the game.
if they could add to the offense in RF and DH and get Giminez back to where he was I would have no objection to Straw continuing as the regular CF. He saves a vast number of runs with his glovework

Exciting news: Laureano returns to the lineup, The veteran released by the last place A's hits cleanup in our power lineup.
No one hitting lower than 3rd is batting above .242.

Allen pitching for Cleveland.
MdKenzie today for Akron.

Fortunately there may be no one worse than Gabriel Arias for hitting with runners in scoring position. For the season he is 10-70 or a nice solid .143 average with 26 strikeouts.
That means when batting without runners in scoring position he is 50 for 216 which is not very good either but still....

today is a prime example of his contribution to the offense:

[interrupt this with a game update; to be continued]

Eli Morgan wins the blown save of the day award. Allen went a nice 5 innings allowing 1 run and left with a 5-1 lead
Sandlin retired the 3 he faces.
DeLosSantos made it 5-2
Eli took care of the lead quite efficiently in the 8th: hit a batter, gave up a single and a 3 run homer.
Blown save total in the past couple weeks alone is amazing and for the season I have to imagine about as high as it gets.

Back to Gabriel Arias.
Today:
1st inning, 2nd and 3rd 2 out. Ground ball to 3rd. Luckily it's thrown away and 2 runs score. That does not count as a hit or rbi

3rd inning, 2 out, none on. Timely double

5th innings, 1 out, first and third. Double play. Side out

8th innings, 2 out, none on, granted there's no one but it's good to get something going late in the game; he flies out.

Curry took the bullpen loss today. Everyone pitches in.

a 2022 style game: excellent pitching, late inning rally, Clase nails it down.

MInor bad news: Bibee strained his hip, apparently not serious, but likely done for the year with a 2.98 ERA which is near the best in the majors

Ramirez homer and whole bunch of singles give Cleveland 3 runs in the 4th
Bases now loaded for Mr. Clutch, Gabriel Arias 10-73 with RISP.
I can hope for a pop up rather than a double play. A sac fly is probably too much to hope for.

The Rangers certainly hope to salvage at least one game in this series in their fight for postseason. Reliever in to pass Arias.

Arias gets himself into a good count taking two fast balls for strikes. Now it's 1-2. Come on, pretend there's no one on base

Wo ho! He singles in 2 to make it 5-1. That makes 7 hits in a row for the Gs
s.s

up to 7 runs now after Jose up for the 2nd time in the inning scores a run on a ground out.
Intentional walk to Josh giving Laureano a shot with 3 on and 2 out. He doubled first time up in the inning.

hit by a pitch, that makes 8 runs.
This is certainly the best support Williams has received

I guess I was ahead of myself; Giminez double scores 2 and now it's 9