The Cleveland Guardians erased a two-run deficit and walked off the Detroit Tigers 3-2 in ten innings at Progressive Field on Sunday, September 6, 2026. Brayan Rocchio's home run tied the game, Travis Bazzana and Steven Kwan each delivered multi-hit performances, and Cade Smith was untouchable out of the bullpen — striking out five batters across two scoreless innings to earn the win in a division game that went down to the final out.

Gavin Williams Delivers Six Strong Innings

Gavin Williams gave the Guardians everything they needed to stay in the game. The right-hander went six full innings, striking out 11 batters and allowing just two earned runs on four hits and three walks. Detroit's offense managed little against him, and the strikeout total made clear Williams was in control for most of his outing. His effort kept Cleveland within striking distance long enough for the offense to answer.

Rocchio Ties It, Bazzana Drives In the Difference

The Guardians trailed heading into the later innings before Brayan Rocchio provided the equalizer with a solo home run — his only hit of the game in three at-bats. From there, Cleveland forced extra innings and made the most of the opportunity. Travis Bazzana went 2-for-4 with an RBI, and Steven Kwan matched him with two hits in four at-bats to keep the lineup churning. Kyle Finnegan couldn't record an out in the tenth, surrendering two hits before the Guardians pushed across the winning run, with Finnegan taking the loss.

Cade Smith Shuts Detroit Down in Extra Innings

When the game reached extra innings, Cade Smith was the story. He threw two scoreless innings, allowed no hits, walked no one, and struck out five Detroit batters. That kind of performance in a tight division game earns a win, and that's exactly what Smith got. Erik Sabrowski and Hunter Gaddis also contributed scoreless outings in the seventh and eighth innings respectively, bridging the gap between Williams and Smith.

Detroit's Riley Greene Led the Tigers' Offense

For Detroit, Riley Greene was the lone bright spot at the plate. He went 2-for-4 and drove in both of the Tigers' runs. Jackson Jobe gave the Tigers five innings with seven strikeouts and two earned runs allowed, but Detroit's bullpen couldn't hold the game together as Cleveland rallied. Kenley Jansen threw a scoreless ninth, but the Tigers couldn't get a lead into Jansen's hands in the first place.

Key Performances at a Glance

  • Gavin Williams: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 11 K
  • Cade Smith: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K (W)
  • Brayan Rocchio: 1-for-3, 1 HR, 1 RBI
  • Travis Bazzana: 2-for-4, 1 RBI
  • Steven Kwan: 2-for-4
  • Riley Greene (DET): 2-for-4, 2 RBI
  • Kyle Finnegan (DET): 0.0 IP, 2 H (L)

What's Next

The Guardians continue their regular season schedule following Sunday's walk-off win over their division rival. Cleveland now turns its attention to the next series, looking to build on a gutty comeback performance that required all ten innings to decide.