CLEVELAND — It's been an up and down season for the Cleveland Guardians.
But with 53 games remaining in the 2022 campaign, Cleveland's baseball team finds itself tied for first place.
On Tuesday, the Guardians beat the Detroit Tigers 5-2 behind another pitching gem from ace Shane Bieber. Shortstop Amed Rosario added three hits, one RBI and one run scored, continuing his strong second-half offensive surge for Cleveland.
Hours later, the Minnesota Twins suffered a 10-3 loss on the road to the Los Angeles Dodgers. With that, both the Guardians and Twins find themselves with records of 57-52, marking the first time that Cleveland has had a share of first place in the American League Central Division since June 24.
In the time since, the Guardians have trailed Minnesota by as many as 4.5 games in the A.L. Central. While the Twins were active at the MLB Trade Deadline earlier this month, acquiring starting pitcher Tyler Mahle from the Cincinnati Reds and All-Star closer Jorge Lopez from the Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland largely stood pat -- much to the chagrin of its fanbase.
But while the Guardians opted not to make any moves of consequence -- the only trade they did make actually sent veteran catcher Sandy Leon to Minnesota -- Cleveland has enjoyed an influx of talent from its minor league system this season. Shortly after the trade deadline, the Guardians promoted former top prospect Tyler Freeman, with the infielder joining outfielder Nolan Jones, infielder Gabriel Arias, outfielder Will Benson and outfielder Steven Kwan as highly touted prospects to make their Major League debuts for Cleveland this season.
How the Guardians close the season will largely depend on the viability of their offense and the consistency of their pitching staff. But in a season that's been nothing short of a roller coaster, Cleveland couldn't ask for much more than finding itself atop of the standings with less than two months remaining on the schedule.