Guardians top Mets 7-6 in a 10-inning thriller on Aug 5, 2025. Gabriel Arias's homer and late-game heroics from Cade Smith sealed the wild road win.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
It was a game they almost let slip away, a chaotic rollercoaster of emotions that tested the resolve of every player and fan. After building a commanding five-run lead, the Cleveland Guardians watched the New York Mets storm all the way back, only to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat in a wild 7-6, 10-inning thriller at Citi Field. It was messy, it was stressful, but it was a character-defining win fueled by clutch hitting and improbable heroes.
Gabriel Arias's 440-foot, three-run homer in the sixth inning completely changed the game, giving the Guardians a lead they would desperately need.
The game was a scoreless stalemate for five innings before Cleveland erupted. The sixth inning was a masterclass in offensive execution, with David Fry and Carlos Santana delivering back-to-back RBI singles to break the deadlock. The exclamation point came from Gabriel Arias, who launched a towering 440-foot, three-run homer to cap a five-run frame and seemingly put the game out of reach. But the Mets chipped away, tying the game and setting up a nail-biting finish. After Cade Smith heroically escaped a bases-loaded jam in the ninth, the Guardians manufactured two runs in the tenth, with Daniel Schneemann scoring on an error and Arias adding a crucial sacrifice fly. It was just enough for rookie Nic Enright, who bent but didn't break in the bottom of the tenth to earn his dramatic first career save.
The Guardians made waves before the game even started, officially promoting top prospect CJ Kayfus to start in right field. The left-handed slugger, who posted a .903 OPS in Triple-A, is expected to inject immediate life into the lineup for the playoff push. To make room, Johnathan Rodriguez was optioned. The front office also shored up the bullpen, claiming hard-throwing righty Carlos Hernandez off waivers from the Tigers. While his numbers this season aren't stellar, his high-velocity fastball offers significant upside. Lefty Tim Herrin was optioned to Columbus to clear the corresponding roster spot.
While the bullpen stole the show on Tuesday, the foundation of the Guardians' recent success has been its starting rotation, led by its newly emerged ace, Gavin Williams. Following a dominant outing against the Twins, Williams is being recognized as the true leader of the staff. His development into a top-of-the-rotation force gives Cleveland a formidable weapon every fifth day, providing stability and raising the team's ceiling as they battle for a postseason berth. His consistency is the bedrock that allows the team to survive wild bullpen games like the one against the Mets.
This chaotic, heart-stopping victory is exactly the kind of win that forges a team's identity in a playoff race. With new offensive firepower in CJ Kayfus, a reinforced bullpen arm in Carlos Hernandez, and an emerging ace in Gavin Williams, the Guardians are signaling they're all-in. While they can't afford to blow five-run leads regularly, surviving this test of wills on the road proves they have the grit to match their talent. The rest of this series against the Mets just got a lot more interesting.
