Guardians rally 5-3 on Bazzana walk-off home run

Rookie All-Star Travis Bazzana hit a two-run, walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning on Saturday, July 18, 2026, lifting the Cleveland Guardians to a 5-3 comeback victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates in the second game of a doubleheader at Progressive Field. The win salvaged a split for Cleveland after Pittsburgh won the opener 7-1.

With the score tied 3-3 in the nightcap, Patrick Bailey singled and Steven Kwan doubled to set the stage for Bazzana. The Australian second baseman, the top overall pick in the 2024 draft, connected on a first-pitch changeup from reliever Dennis Santana, driving it 414 feet to center field for his eighth homer of the season. It was his first career walk-off hit and Cleveland's fourth walk-off win this year. Reliever Cade Smith earned the win after retiring the Pirates in order in the top of the ninth.

The Guardians had trailed 3-0 after four innings, a deficit that included an unusual RBI double by Pittsburgh's Esmerlyn Valdez in the third. With hazy conditions from Canadian wildfire smoke affecting visibility, Cleveland outfielder Petey Halpin lost Valdez's towering pop-up in the lights, allowing the ball to drop for a 197-foot double...