Cantillo, Relievers Combine on One-Hitter as Guardians Notch 10,000th Win
Source: ABC30 Fresno Sports. Casualplayhub News adds summary, context, and editorial framing while linking back to the original report.
Cleveland’s long wait for a milestone victory finally ended Saturday night, as the Guardians held on for a 6-1 win over the San Diego Padres to become the third American League franchise to reach 10,000 regular-season wins. Only the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox had previously accomplished that feat.
Joey Cantillo delivered the crucial start. The 25-year-old left-hander, who had pitched just one inning since Aug. 4 due to a rain-shortened outing, threw six innings of one-hit ball. The only blemish came in the first inning when a soft grounder by Padres leadoff hitter skipped over first baseman Nathaniel Lowe’s glove for a single. Cantillo struck out five and walked two, lowering his ERA to 3.89. He improved to 9-7 on the season.
“I felt good from the first pitch,” Cantillo said. “The guys made plays behind me, and we got the runs we needed. That’s all you can ask for.”
Relievers Colin Holderman, Hunter Gaddis and Erik Sabrowski combined for three scoreless innings, allowing just one walk and striking out four. The Padres managed only one more baserunner after the first inning. Cleveland’s last no-hitter remains Len Barker’s perfect game on May 15, 1981, the longest active drought in Major League Baseball.
Jose Ramirez, the Guardians’ star third baseman, has been searching for his rhythm since undergoing surgery to remove his left hamate bone on June 16. He was given Friday off to rest, and the break seemed to rejuvenate him. Ramirez collected his first extra-base hit since the operation, a double in the fourth inning, and later added a sacrifice fly in the fifth. He finished 1-for-3 with a walk and two RBIs.
“You could see the barrel was back,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. “That ball came off his bat the way it used to. That’s a great sign for us.”
Cleveland’s offense broke through in the fifth inning. Steven Kwan lined a run-scoring double to left-center, and Ramirez followed with a fly ball deep enough to center field to bring home another run. The Guardians’ lead stretched to 4-1.
They added two more runs in the seventh inning on a chaotic sequence. Kwan was credited with a steal of home after a rundown, but the play was marred by two errors from Padres second baseman Jake Cronenworth, who first dropped a throw and then threw wildly to third base. The miscues allowed two runs to score, putting the game out of reach.
The Padres came into the game on a hot streak, having won six straight and 16 of their last 20 since July 24. But Cantillo and the Guardians’ bullpen silenced their bats. San Diego’s only run came on a solo home run by Manny Machado in the fourth inning, but the Padres could not build any sustained offense.
Cleveland’s win was a much-needed boost. The Guardians had lost eight of their last 11 games since the trade deadline, and their AL Central lead had shrunk. The victory kept them within striking distance of the division crown and the wild-card race.
“We’ve been in a tough stretch,” Vogt said. “But nights like this remind us what we’re capable of. The pitching was outstanding, and the veterans came through.”
Looking ahead, the series finale on Sunday will feature Padres right-hander Casey Mize (4-7, 3.38 ERA) making his third start since joining San Diego in a trade, opposing Guardians righty Tanner Bibee (4-12, 3.99 ERA). Mize has been sharp since the deal, while Bibee has struggled through a difficult season but remains a key part of Cleveland’s rotation.
The milestone win at Progressive Field drew a loud ovation from the home crowd. The Guardians now look to build on the momentum as the postseason race intensifies.
Article commentary
Milestones in sports are often celebrated in retrospect, but the Guardians’ 10,000th win carries immediate weight. Cleveland became only the third American League franchise to reach that plateau, joining the Yankees and Red Sox—two of the most storied organizations in baseball. For a club that has often been overshadowed in its own division, this achievement underscores a century of sustained competitiveness, even if championships have been rare. More important than the number itself is how the Guardians got there. Saturday’s game was a microcosm of their season: solid pitching, timely hitting, and defensive resilience. Joey Cantillo’s emergence as a reliable starter has been one of the bright spots. The left-hander struggled with command early in the year but has found his groove. Facing a Padres lineup that had been scorching hot over the previous three weeks, he delivered his best start of the season. The fact that he had thrown only one inning in the previous 12 days due to a rain delay makes the performance even more impressive. Jose Ramirez’s return to form is perhaps the most critical development for Cleveland’s playoff hopes. Since hamate bone surgery, he had looked like a shell of the MVP-caliber player he was before the injury. The rest day on Friday seemed to clear his mind and his swing. If Ramirez can regain his power and run production, the Guardians’ offense becomes far more dangerous. They have leaned heavily on Steven Kwan and Josh Naylor, but they need their star third baseman to carry the load down the stretch. Defensively, the Guardians’ bullpen continues to be a strength. The trio of Holderman, Gaddis, and Sabrowski has been effective in high-leverage situations, and the team’s overall pitching depth gives them a fighting chance in any series. The no-hitter drought—now 45 years—is a quirky footnote, but it does not reflect the overall quality of Cleveland’s pitching staff. For the Padres, this loss snaps a six-game winning streak, but they remain one of the hottest teams in baseball. Their acquisition of Casey Mize at the trade deadline has bolstered the rotation, and the offense remains potent. San Diego’s run differential suggests they are a legitimate contender. Saturday’s performance was an outlier against a pitcher who was simply dominant. Looking at the broader playoff picture, the Guardians still have work to do. Their AL Central lead is precarious, and the schedule ahead includes tough series against division rivals. The 10,000th win provides a moment of celebration, but it will mean little if they fail to reach October. For a team that prides itself on grit and fundamentals, Saturday’s game was a blueprint for how they can succeed: get a strong start, support it with timely hitting, and let the bullpen close the door. Baseball is a sport of numbers, and 10,000 wins is a testament to longevity. But for the Guardians, the focus now shifts to the next 10, with the ultimate goal of adding a championship to the tally.