AUGUST 28, 2025 • THENEWSTRIBUNE.COM
Rays blow ninth-inning lead and fall to Guardians, 4-3 in 10 innings Labor Day is around the corner, which means it's time to start obsessing over the Major League Baseb...
Nolan Jones - Unlikely hero Wednesday Jones went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 4-3 extra-inning win over the Rays.
Impact With Cleveland down 3-2 in the bottom of the ninth inning, Jones stepped to the plate against Tampa Bay closer Pete Fairbanks and crushed a slider 428 feet over the right-field fence. It was only the fourth homer of the season for Jones and his first since June 13, snapping a 53-game power drought in which he'd managed just a .210/.315/.261 slash line. While Wednesday's heroics offer a rare bright spot in a dismal season, the 27-year-old outfielder is still a long way from regaining a regular spot in the Guardians lineup.
AUGUST 27, 2025 • ROTOWIRE
Cade Smith - Nabs extra-inning win Smith (6-5) picked up the win Wednesday, striking out one during a perfect 10th inning in a 4-3 victory over the Rays.
Impact The right-hander needed only seven pitches (six strikes) to breeze through Tampa Bay's 8-9-1 hitters and leave designated runner Jake Mangum stranded at third base, setting the stage for Kyle Manzardo to walk it off in the bottom of the 10th with an RBI single. Smith allowed runs in three straight appearances last week, but he appears to have righted his ship against the Rays, collecting a win and a save in back-to-back scoreless outings. Through 13.1 innings in August, Smith sports a 2.70 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and 14:2 K:BB.
AUGUST 27, 2025 • ROTOWIRE
Cade Smith - Nabs extra-inning win Smith (6-5) picked up the win Wednesday, striking out one during a perfect 10th inning in a 4-3 victory over the Rays.
Impact The right-hander needed only seven pitches (six strikes) to breeze through Tampa Bay's 8-9-1 hitters and leave phantom runner Jake Mangum stranded at third base, setting the stage for Kyle Manzardo to walk it off in the bottom of the 10th with an RBI single. Smith allowed runs in three straight appearances last week, but he appears to have righted his ship against the Rays, collecting a win and a save in back-to-back scoreless outings. Through 13.1 innings in August, Smith sports a 2.70 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and 14:2 K:BB.
AUGUST 27, 2025 • ROTOWIRE
Slade Cecconi - Produces another quality start Cecconi didn't factor into the decision in Wednesday's 4-3 extra-inning win over the Rays, giving up three runs on six hits over six innings. He struck out four without walking a b...
Impact The right-hander delivered his second straight quality start on 99 pitches (63 strikes). Cecconi has five quality starts in eight outings since the All-Star break, but in the other three outings he got tagged for 19 runs (17 earned) in 16 innings, leaving him with a ragged 5.55 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 27:8 K:BB and 2.1 HR/9 over 47 frames during that span. With John Means (elbow) closing on on his Cleveland debut, either Cecconi or Parker Messick, who has been very impressive in his first two MLB starts, are likely to lose their spot in the rotation. Cecconi may get one last chance to make his case in his next start, which is scheduled to come on the road early next week in Boston.
AUGUST 27, 2025 • ROTOWIRE
Pete Fairbanks - Blows fifth save Fairbanks was charged with his fifth blown save of the season in Wednesday's 4-3 extra-inning loss to the Guardians, giving up one run on one hit in the ninth inning. He struck out...
Impact Brought in to protect a 3-2 lead, Fairbanks instead served up a game-tying homer to improbable hero Nolan Jones, who came into Wednesday mired in a 53-game power drought, with his last long ball having come June 13. Fairbanks has coughed up just five home runs on the season, but four of them have come in his last 10 appearances -- a stretch in which he's gone 4-for-6 in converting save chances.
AUGUST 27, 2025 • ROTOWIRE
Drew Rasmussen - Quality start wasted Wednesday Rasmussen came away with a no-decision in Wednesday's 4-3 extra-inning loss to the Guardians, allowing two runs on four hits and a walk over six innings. He struck out five.
Impact The right-hander extended his quality start streak to four with another sharp performance that saw him fire 60 of 85 pitches for strikes, but Rasmussen missed out on his 11th win of the season when the Rays bullpen blew a 3-2 lead. He hasn't been tagged for more than two runs in an outing since June 30, and over nine trips to the mound since the beginning of July, Rasmussen sports a 2.34 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 39:7 K:BB in 42.1 innings. He'll look to keep rolling in his next start, which lines up to come at home early next week against the Mariners.
AUGUST 27, 2025 • ROTOWIRE
