The 2026 MLB season is coming down to the wire, and the Cleveland Guardians are beginning to trend in the right direction.
Cleveland concluded their three-game series with a 6-3 win over the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday. With nine games to go in the season, the Guardians are the new leader in the American League Central division.
This is great news for the Guardians, who are chasing a third straight division title.
Petey Halpin’s Home Run Lifts Guardians to Win Over White Sox
Heading into Wednesday’s contest against the Chicago White Sox, the Guardians were sitting a half-game behind Chicago for the lead in the AL Central.
The Guardians started the game strong with a Jo Adell single that drove in Petey Halpin and Steven Kwan to take a 2-0 lead in the third. However, Chicago’s Tommy Pham would flip the script with a three-run blast in the fifth.
Down one run, rookie outfielder Petey Halpin would step up to the plate and launch a three-run home run to give the Guardians a 5-3 lead in the sixth.
His 3-run shot puts the @CleGuardians back in front! #SeptemberBaseball
Jose Ramirez would come up after Brayan Rocchio and Steven Kwan drew back-to-back walks and hit a double that scored Rocchio.
The Guardians would go on to win the series-clinching game with a final score of 6-3. Cleveland ended the White Sox’s three-month stretch of leading the division.
Guardians’ Remaining Schedule for 2026 Regular Season
Cleveland is looking to maintain their lead in the AL Central for the final 11 days of the regular season. Looking ahead, the Guardians face two series against teams that are below .500.
The Guardians will get an off day on Thursday before hosting the Athletics in a three-game series over the weekend. Then, Cleveland will finish out the final six games of the regular season on the road against the Boston Red Sox and Kansas City Royals.
Surprisingly, road games have not been an issue for the Guardians this season. Despite a 38-40 record in home games, Cleveland has a 40-35 record in away games this season.
Guardians Jump White Sox in AL Central in Win