CLEVELAND, Ohio — When the Cleveland Guardians announced they were moving to a six-man rotation, skepticism abounded. Was this a white flag on the season? A way to manage innings for young arms? Perhaps a bit of both?

Instead, it’s turned into the catalyst for an improbable playoff push.

Over their last 17 games — a brutal stretch with no off days — Cleveland has gone a remarkable 12-5, fueled by a starting rotation that’s performing at a level few could have anticipated.

“When they went to the six man rotation, I was wondering how it was going to work,” admitted Paul Hoynes on the Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast . “And it’s been a smooth transition. They’ve had one great start after another, and you could kind of feel the momentum of it.”

The results speak for themselves. During the

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