Somehow, every game recap I write manages to be about an even more abhorrent game than the last. Tonight might take the cake for by far the worst game I have ever had the displeasure of watching. Just an unbelievably awful game start-to-finish. On the bright side, since coming to Minnesota, the Guardians seem to be at least losing a new type of game. Not just your average 1-run loss anymore, we’ve ascended to a new plane of suffering.
Cleveland, OH
Nick Saban’s retirement presents a potential home run opportunity for Ohio State football’s future rosters
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Nick Saban spent 17 years turning Alabama into college football’s ultimate juggernaut, whether that be on the field or on the recruiting trail.
Ohio State has felt the impact of both of those things since Ryan Day took over the program in 2019 and, now as Saban walks away from the sport to retire, the Buckeyes have a chance to recoup from the losses that came as a result.
On the field, that came in the form of a lopsided 54-24 thrashing in a national championship game to conclude a 2020 season marred by a global pandemic. That’s been the only time Day got a chance to face Saban and the second time OSU’s done so since Saban got to Alabama. The other was a 42-35 Sugar Bowl win in 2014 under Urban Meyer on the way to winning a national title.
The more common matchups have come on the recruiting trail where the Buckeyes have often fallen victim to the Crimson Tide. That started with Jordan Battle in 2019, when he flipped following Meyer’s retirement. Those moments continued in 2021 when Alabama killed off OSU’s momentum for J.C. Latham and landed the five-star while also flipping Ohio cornerback Devonta Smith. Alabama left Ohio State alone for the most part in 2022 but picked right back up in 2023 with Caleb Downs, Justice Haynes, Keon Keeley and Kadyn Proctor.
So far, the loss of Downs is probably the most significant given that he quickly became one of Alabama’s more productive players as a true freshman this past season, but Latham has also been a starter the last two years.
It was realistic to think most of those players would end up Buckeyes during their recruitments, but each instead chose to go play for arguably the greatest head coach in the history of college football. But now that he’s gone, maybe there’s a chance to revisit some of those losses and just turn them into delayed wins.
The same can even be said of 2024 defensive backs Zabien Brown and Peyton Woodyard. It maybe even would’ve had a more realistic shot of getting five-star quarterback Julian Sayin if he was committed to anyone other than Saban. Though the Buckeyes are clearly excited about what they ended up with in five-star Air Noland.
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The transfer portal has become a prominent part of modern college football and teams can use it for numerous reasons. Ohio State has often used it to fill a hole with a one-year plug that doesn’t interrupt its future recruiting plans. But the departure of a head coach leading a program that’s home to a roster constantly among the nation’s most talented could change that equation.
Saban’s retirement could open a window for the Buckeyes to use the portal for not just quick fixes to its recruiting miss, but a way to potentially correct those misses with the very players you planned to have fill those holes in the first place.
Plenty of teams will be looking to raid Alabama’s roster. Don’t be surprised if Ohio State finds itself being among them, looking to make up for a few losses at the hands of a legend now that Saban is gone.
The Buckeyes have already taken one player from the Crimson Tide’s roster this offseason in center Seth McLaughlin. Maybe he won’t be the last.
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This game had everything!
Do you like lackluster starting pitching? Come on down!
Do you like walks? We’ve got a near unlimited supply at a discounted price!
Do you like using every single reliever in your bullpen but one? Stop on by!
Do you like walkoff losses? We’re running a 2-for-1 special!
Fan of all the above? Then come on down to the Chris Antonetti and co.’s House of Horrors! Unfortunately located on a television set near you.
I’m just going to do everyone a favor and eschew the video evidence that I usually attach to my recaps so that those who either missed the game or wanted to rewatch a pivotal moment could catch up. No one deserves to experience this game once, let alone twice. We’re going to stick to just good old words tonight.
Cecconi was bad today! That’s about all I’m going to say.
The Guardians scored 3 runs in the top of the 4th on back-to-back homers from Rocchio and Hoskins. If you’ve watched more than 3 Guardians games this year, then I’m sure you can guess what happened next.
Speaking of the 4th inning, Cecconi didn’t manage to get out of it! Final line: 3.2IP 6H 3ER 4K 1BB. Gave up the lead right after the Guardians took it.
Holderman had to pitch in the 4th (yes, fourth) inning to clean up his mess. Holderman was fantastic, and is one of four (I’ll get to the other three in a second) players today who are blameless. He cleaned up Cecconi’s garbage, and then pitched a scoreless 5th on 6 pitches.
Herrin pitched a relatively uneventful 6th, but unfortunately left the game when he was hit on the elbow off a comebacker from Royce Lewis. Shawn Armstrong got the last out of the inning.
All was quiet until the 7th, when beautiful, sweet Chase DeLauter had his 2nd of 2 hits and 2nd of 3 appearances on base tonight. He drove in the go-ahead run with that hit. Then, Rocchio squeezed home Kwan on a great surprise bunt, and even managed to get to first off bad defense from the Twins.
Then, Armstrong pitched again! Our beloved Armstrong walked Keaschall and Kreidler, only recording one out in between the walks. Sabrowski came in in relief. In what is maybe the worst relief outing I have ever witnessed with my own two eyes, Sabrowski walked THREE batters. Included in 3 of those walks are TWO RBI walks. TWO (2). Dos. Deux. Zwei. Due. Two. TWO. Two of THREE RBI walks issued by the Guardians tonight. Three. Tres. Trois. Drei. Tre. THREE. I cannot emphasize how abhorrent of an evening Sabrowski had tonight. He threw 14 pitches, 2 of which registered as strikes. None of his other 8 pitches were close. He did not record an out. Him being broken isn’t something this team can overcome so he needs to figure it out.
Hunter Gaddis came in and cleaned up that mess, but then left a mess of his own with runners on 2nd and 3rd two batters into the 8th. Enter Cade Smith who had to clean up that mess. And, as a matter of fact, he did so. Brilliantly, I might add. Came in with Twins on 2nd and 3rd with no outs and did not surrender a run. Not a one.
Anyway, we headed to the 9th tied. The Guardians didn’t score. Shocker. So, because of how empty the bullpen was (Aleman having never pitched in back to back days), Matt Festa pitched. In what was, truly, a “put me out of my misery inning”, Festa almost wiggled out of it but, luckily, the defense behind him had our back for a short night. I’m not even mad at Festa. Stop me if you’ve heard this one before… Bazzana misplayed a rough hop in the rain and the dirt, and Hoskins failed to scoop what could only be characterized as a play my late 100-year-old grandmother could make. Once again, the Guardians defense gave away easy outs to the Twins. Alan Roden walked it off for the Twins later that inning.
Quick recap of the pitchers used tonight, along with their final lines:
Cecconi: 3.2IP 6H 3ER 4K 1BB
Holderman: 1.1IP 0H 0ER 0K 0BB
Herrin: 0.2IP 0H 0ER 0K 0BB
Armstrong: 0.2IP 0H 2ER 0K 2BB
Sabrowski: 0.0IP 0H 0ER 0K 3BB
Gaddis: 0.2IP 2H 0ER 0K 0BB
Cade: 1.0IP 0H 0ER 2K 1BB
Festa: 0.2IP 3H 1ER 1K 1BB
Cade, DeLauter, Rocchio (1/4, HR, 3 RBI), Hedges (2/4), and Holderman are the only Guardians that I’m not presently pissed at. Everyone else should try meditating, or yoga, or solidcore, or literally anything to prevent this game from ever happening again.
Hope you enjoyed this recap. Goodnight and good riddance to this awful game. See you Friday!
Cleveland, OH
Ohio ICAC Task Force’s “Operation Guardians’ Watch” Results in 25 Individuals Arrested and Charged for Attempting to Meet with an Underage Child to Engage in Sexual Activity
The defendants, ages 20 – 63, engaged in sexually explicit online conversations with undercover officers posing as children. Contact was initiated through popular social media applications. The defendants expressed an interest in engaging in sexual activity with the purported children. Some of the defendants disseminated images of their genitals and others offered to pay for sexual activity during the online conversations.
Initial charges – ranging from third-degree to fifth-degree felonies – were filed against the defendants, which include:
- Compelling Prostitution
- Attempted Unlawful Sexual Conduct With A Minor
- Disseminating Matter Harmful To Juveniles
- Importuning
- Possessing Criminal Tools
The arrested individuals include:
- Brian Ferguson, 38, Cleveland
- Andre Johnson, 37, Maple Heights
- Luca Ascione, 31, Strongsville
- Doug Matheson, 51, Berne, New York
- Timothy Rankin, 37, Elyria
- Glen Martin, 52, Eastlake
- Christopher Docy, 28, North Ridgeville
- Dominick Craig, 37, Logan
- Gerald Rhome, 51, East Cleveland
- Deandre Anderson, 24, Warrensville Heights
- Tai’rez Jackson, 24, Cleveland
- Esteban Baltazar, 63, Springfield, Tennessee
- Oscar Aparicio, 24, Houston, Texas
- Mohammad Mabrouk, 29, Cleveland
- Michael Sullivan, 20, Cleveland
- Brett Musselman, 33, Kent
- David Whitfield, 35, Geneva,
- Delwin Ortiz, 29, Cleveland
- Samuel Kanyaruginga, 35, Cleveland
- Domonic Delvalle, 35, Cleveland
- Clyde Sweeney, 46, Fairlawn
- Jason Kopco, 27, Westlake
- Zachary Brodeur, 37, Flynn, Massachusetts
- Vishwatej Nath, 45, Berea (charges will be filed in Lake County)
- Klajdi Vrapi, 27, Fairview Park
“Operation Guardians’ Watch was coordinated by the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office and the Ohio ICAC Task Force with the assistance of the Newburgh Heights Police Department, Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Office, Parma Police Department, Sheffield Village Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations Cleveland, U.S Secret Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation Cleveland, Ohio Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Van Wert County Sheriff’s Office, Kirtland Police Department, Lyndhurst Police Department, Amherst Police Department, Warren Police Department, Perrysburg Police Department, Kelleys Island Police Department, Ottawa County Sheriff’s Department, and Portage County Sheriff’s Department.
This is the seventh undercover operation the Task Force has led since 2018. The total number of arrests from the Task Force’s operations stands at 160 offenders arrested.
*Ohio ICAC Task Force:
The Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force is run under the direction of the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office and funded in part by a grant from the Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. The task force conducts proactive and reactive investigations dealing with the online exploitation of children and provides training and technical assistance to more than 385 local, state, and federal criminal justice-affiliated agencies throughout the state of Ohio.
Smith leads all of Major League Baseball with 26 saves while posting a 2.90 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and 57 strikeouts across 38 appearances. He’ll represent Cleveland in Philadelphia alongside rookie teammates Parker Messick and Travis Bazzana.
For a pitcher leading the majors in saves, he’s received remarkably little national attention.
Stats were taken prior to play on July 7.
Ready When the Opportunity Arrived
As a rookie in 2024, Smith emerged as one of baseball’s best setup men, appearing in 74 games while posting a 1.91 ERA, a 0.90 WHIP, and 103 strikeouts in 75.1 innings. His 28 holds illustrated exactly how much trust Cleveland already had in him.
He followed that with another outstanding campaign in 2025, throwing 73.2 innings with a 2.93 ERA, a 1.00 WHIP, 104 strikeouts, 16 saves, and 19 holds.
When Clase was removed from the closer’s role following his suspension and eventual leave, Smith inherited one of the highest-pressure jobs in baseball. After blowing his first two save chances, he settled in quickly, converting 13 of his final 16 opportunities over August and September while pitching to an ERA in the mid-2.00s.
He carried that momentum into October, tossing 3.1 scoreless innings with four strikeouts during Cleveland’s Wild Card Series against Detroit.
So, this season hasn’t been a breakout nearly as much as it has been a continuation.
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