CLEVELAND — The 2-1 curveball that Slade Cecconi snapped off to Alejandro Osuna in the first inning on Friday hung over the plate on the inner half. After the drive carried out over the right-center-field wall, Cecconi hunched over and silence overtook a sellout crowd of 36,275 at Progressive Field.

Osuna’s three-run homer was part of the four-run deficit that Cecconi and Cleveland fell into in the first inning of the Guardians’ 7-3 loss to the Rangers.

“It just didn’t seem like Slade was super sharp tonight,” manager Stephen Vogt said.

The Guardians will have to be at their sharpest the next two days. They have two games to clinch a postseason berth, in a season that has been an emotional roller coaster ride for both them and their fan base — which will buckle up for another high-inten

See Full Page