CLEVELAND -- It was Aug. 24, when the Guardians wrapped up a nightmarish 1-5 road trip that knocked them under .500 for the first time in nearly a month. At 64-65 and losers of eight of nine games, it was fair to wonder whether the season was slipping away.

If the Guardians were going to go down, they were at least going to go down swinging.

“We know that we can't afford to have this stretch last any longer than it has,” manager Stephen Vogt said that day, after a 5-0 loss to the Rangers at Globe Life Field. “I don't think we're ever going to feel like the season is getting away from us.

“We're going to keep fighting every single day until we're either popping champagne or we're out of it. That's who we are. We're going to fight every single day.”

The champagne is ready. The Guardians

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