Cleveland Guardians vs. Cincinnati Reds recap; Guards, Tanner Bibee beat the Reds
CLEVELAND — The Guardians enter the final stretch of the regular season.
Only five games remain — all at home this week — before the playoffs arrive.
One more Guardians win or one more Astros loss will clinch a top-two seed for Cleveland, allowing them to have a bye through the Wild Card round and have home field advantage in the ALDS.
Tuesday night, the Guardians play the Cincinnati Reds to begin a short two-game series. They'll be off Thursday before playing the Astros three times over the weekend.
Check back here for live score updates, highlights and analysis from Tuesday's game.
Guardians beat the Reds
Emmanuel Clase worked the ninth, and the Guardians have beaten the Reds 6-1. They have now clinched a first-round-series bye.
Guardians, Reds score; Guards adding onto lead in seventh inning
After a Jose Ramirez double put two runners in scoring position, Josh Naylor scored one via a sacrifice fly and Lane Thomas scored the other via a grounder in which Elly De La Crus made a terrific play to get an out, but it was enough to give the Guardians a 6-1 lead in the seventh.
They're six outs away from clinching one of the top two spots in the AL with a five-run lead.
Tanner Bibee finishes seventh inning; Guardians lead Reds
Tanner Bibee has turned in another solid performance tonight, allowing just one run on four hits through seven innings, guiding the Guardians to a 4-1 lead.
Guardians extend lead over Reds in the fifth
With Jose Ramirez on base, Josh Naylor roped a double down the right-field line that scored Ramirez all the way from first, extending the Guardians' lead to 4-1.
Jonathan India hit in head with pitch; Guardians-Reds update
Reds infielder Jonathan India took a 95.7 mph fastball to the helmet, but he appears to be fine.
Luckily, it hit only his helmet. India was checked on by trainers and is remaining in the game. Tanner Bibee didn't look happy with the pitch.
The Guardians are up 3-1 in the fifth.
Who's winning the Guardians-Reds game?
The Reds cut into the Guardians' lead in the fourth, finally getting to starting pitcher Tanner Bibee via an RBI single from Spencer Steer that just got past a diving Brayan Rocchio.
Rocchio later helped Bibee out with a 6-3 double play in which he fielded a grounder, stepped on second himself and made the throw to first base to end the inning.
Guardians, Reds score update: Guards off to hot start, Kyle Manzardo and Lane Thomas hit home runs
The Guardians have come out swinging tonight.
Kyle Manzardo first hit a solo home run to right field and a few batters later, with a runner on base, Lane Thomas line a two-run home run over the 19-foot wall in left field, giving the Guardians a 3-0 lead in the first inning.
Both have been on fire as of late. Manzardo entered tonight with a .982 OPS over the last four weeks, and Thomas has had an .897 OPS over that same timeframe.
Below is some pregame information.
Guardians clinch spot in 2024 playoffs, AL Central
The Guardians clinched their spot in the playoffs Thursday and then secured the American League Central crown over the weekend in St. Louis.
It's the first calendar year since 1995 in which all three major Cleveland sports teams will play a playoff game.
Emmanuel Clase Cy Young case, odds
Guardians teammates have begun to lobby for Emmanuel Clase to be considered for the American League Cy Young Award, which hasn't gone to a reliever since 2003.
Cleveland Guardians standings, magic number
The Guardians' magic number to clinch one of the top two seeds, which would give them a bye through the Wild Card round and home field advantage in the ALDS, is down to one. A win or an Astros loss will clinch it for the Guardians.
Angel Martinez could be trusted with leadoff spot with Steven Kwan injury sidelining All-Star left fielder
Angel Martinez was recalled prior to Saturday's game and could be trusted with the leadoff responsibilities as long as Steven Kwan is out with back soreness.
Lane Thomas heating up with Guardians
With his dad's help as a former race car driver, Lane Thomas is finding his way with the Guardians.
Sam Hentges to undergo season-ending shoulder surgery
Sam Hentges' 2024 season is finished, and his entire 2025 season is also in jeopardy.
Jose Ramirez has 30/30 season in 2024
Jose Ramirez became the first Cleveland hitter in franchise history with multiple 30/30 seasons.
Watch: Machine Gun Kelly throws out first pitch at Guardians-Cubs game
MGK tossed the ceremonial first pitch, but he did so in an interesting manner that was anything but traditional.
Jhonkensy Noel's renewed approach on putting the ball in play has led to breakout 2024 season
Jhonkensy knows he has the power. It took a new focus on contact and mobility to lead to his great rookie season thus far.
Guardians name CC Sabathia to team Hall-of-Fame
CC Sabathia is now in the Guardians' Hall-of-Fame, and he offered a two-part message to Cleveland fans.
Guardians No. 1 overall draft pick Travis Bazzana meets Jose Ramirez, wants to grow the game in Australia
It all finally sank in for Travis Bazzana, the top overall draft pick in the draft, when he stepped onto the field at Progressive Field and met Jose Ramirez and others.
Cleveland Guardians 2025 schedule
Major League Baseball released the 2025 schedules.
2024 National Sports Card Convention comes to Cleveland
The National Sports Card Convention was in Cleveland recently. We broke down how we'd spend $100, ranked the most mind-blowing items we could find and listed the top collectibles for under $50.
How can I watch, listen or stream the Cleveland Guardians game today?
Today's game will be televised on Bally Sports. It'll be broadcast on the radio by WTAM (1100-AM) and WMMS (100.7-FM).
Guardians schedule
The Guardians wrap up their 2024 regular season this week at Progressive Field. They'll play the Reds Tuesday and Wednesday before welcoming the Houston Astros for a weekend series.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cleveland Guardians score today vs. Cincinnati Reds
