Monday night’s historic win for the Guardians was just a culmination of the flashes we’ve seen from a lot of these guys throughout the season. After getting blanked in the first five innings again, Cleveland’s offense woke up, and it was Chase DeLauter who got the scoring started.

After an opposite-field solo blast from CDL in the sixth, Patrick Bailey got a cutter over the plate and elevated, and he did not miss it, sending it 436 feet to center field. That was Bailey’s longest home run of his career, regular and postseason. Then, the clutchest hit of the day came from Nathaniel Lowe as his 2-run single in the top of the eighth gave the Guards a 4-2 lead.

Cleveland added three more runs in insurance in the top of the ninth, something we are finally seeing some consistency with, as Games 3 and 4 of the ALDS showed some offensive explosion. The Guards closed out the game, winning 7-3. Cade Smith shut the door on the Rays with just six pitches that were all strikes

So, now with a 1-0 lead in the ALCS, is Cleveland the real deal?

I believe you have to be crazy to say no at this point. After going down 2-0 to the White Sox, their backs against the wall going into Chicago and battling back to win those games and eventually win that series at home; this team is capable of anything.

Jose can put this team on his back when he needs to, but the more impressive aspect has been the clutch hitting from the young guys (DeLauter, Halpin) and the acquisitions from the trade deadline (Bailey, Lowe, and Jo Adell). 

We have seen this team get cold from the box, and more specifically against these Tampa Bay Rays. In the season series, Tampa took five out of six, holding the Guardians to just eight runs in those six games. That is the cause of concern with Cleveland in the losses, and Tampa has a great pitching staff that they used largely to blank the Yankees in the DS.

Game 1 showed us what Cleveland is capable of, though, as they scored more runs (7) than New York did in three games vs. the Rays (5). If the offense can keep up their clutch hitting and they can continue to get great pitching from the bullpen and starters, this team can go all the way. Currently, the Guardians' pitching staff leads the postseason in strikeouts with 83; no other team is within 20. That’s some elite stuff.