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
Why Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy’s NFL Draft decision matters so much to Ohio State and The Game
COLUMBUS, Ohio — One of the biggest thorns in the side of the Ohio State football program is finally walking out the door.
J.J. McCarthy once vowed to kill the Buckeyes after they chose Kyle McCord over him, and in doing so he helped with a one-sided rivalry in Michigan’s favor while taking the program to new heights. Now, three years later, he walks away to the NFL Draft with three Big Ten titles, a national title and a 27-1 record.
McCarthy played a vital role in why Ryan Day is 1-3 against the Wolverines, with Day’s only win happening in 2019 when McCarthy was just a junior in high school. As a freshman in 2021, he backed up Cade McNamara but came to throw one 31-yard pass while rushing for another 12 yards in a 42-27 home win. The next year he headed to Columbus as a starter, leaving with a 45-23 win after throwing for 263 yards and three touchdowns and adding another 27 yards and a rushing score. Then he completed the three-peat this past season with a 30-24 win while throwing for 148 yards and a score.
That last win cut the deepest for OSU. It could’ve used that game to change the narrative of what had happened the previous two seasons thanks to a sign-stealing scandal. It also faced a Michigan team that was without its head coach on the sideline. But McCarthy made that not matter. Instead, he got another win, snatched away the Buckeyes’ spot at the top of the Big Ten quarterback hierarchy, and helped the Wolverines close out the four-team College Football Playoff era with a trophy.
He represents the lowest moments the Ohio State football program has endured on the field in the last 25 years. But his departure might be yet another sign that maybe this dark time is coming to a close.
McCarthy is the latest key player on Michigan’s roster who is leaving either because of graduation or NFL Draft declaration. Where the Wolverines go next at quarterback will be a topic all offseason. Its options are Alex Orji — who was used in a wildcat package this past season — Jayden Denegal, Jack Grusser or incoming freshman Jadyn Davis, who was once viewed as a five-star prospect and also had high interest from OSU.
That offseason quarterback battle is where the Wolverines and Buckeyes are alike. But everywhere else, Ohio State seems to be trending upward while Michigan’s peak played out with a win over Washington in the national championship game. Ohio State is busy having all but a handful of its best players choose to “reload the clip” in 2024. Michigan’s best players are leaving one by one.
Plus, there’s still the most important variable in all of this. It’s still unclear whether Jim Harbaugh’s time in Ann Arbor is done, and plenty are leaning toward the answer to that question being yes.
Ohio State just watched its worst nightmare play out in front of it this season, with a third-straight loss to its rival who now sits at the top of college football. But maybe this season is the worst its ever going to get. Michigan heads into an offseason where it could have to completely reset.
McCarthy’s decision only gets us one step closer to that reality coming true, while the Buckeyes look geared up for a season of now or never.
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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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