Guardians 8, Athletics 5: Rhys Hoskins and Chase DeLauter Rally Cleveland

The lead

May 1, 2026 - West Sacramento, California - The Cleveland Guardians survived a loud first inning from the Athletics and kept answering back until Cade Smith finished an 8-5 win with a critical strikeout of Nick Kurtz with the tying run looming in AP coverage.

Chase DeLauter went 4-for-4 with two RBI, tying the game 2-2 on a two-run double with two outs in the second. Rhys Hoskins tied it again at 4-4 with a two-run double in the fifth, then launched a solo homer in the seventh after Angel Martinez delivered a go-ahead sacrifice fly in AP reporting. Brent Rooker and Zack Gelof kept Oakland in the fight with early power and a two-run single in the fourth, but Steven Kwan ran down Colby Thomas's drive at the wall in center to end a late threat after Cleveland almost let the inning unravel.

How the game turned

Oakland struck first when Rooker snapped an 0-for-20 skid with a two-run homer in the first per AP. Cleveland steadied itself when DeLauter squared a two-out rally in the second rather than let the inning die quietly.

Hoskins then turned into the fulcrum. His fifth-inning double knotted the score after Joey Cantillo could not keep the zero. J.T. Ginn took the loss when Cleveland pushed across the decisive runs in the fifth, walking five and allowing five runs on five hits in 4 1/3 innings in AP's line.

The eighth still had drama. Kurtz extended his on-base streak to 26 games and tied Bonds' 20-game walk streak on a base on balls from Hunter Gaddis in AP's framing, but Smith struck him out on a two-strike pitch when the tying run loomed.

Pitching and matchup notes

Cantillo allowed four runs on five hits with three walks in four innings in AP reporting. Erik Sabrowski earned the win in relief. Smith recorded the final four outs for his eighth save in 10 chances.

Oakland's pen wobbled while Cleveland stacked traffic. Kwan's grab at the wall, described by AP as a Gold Glove-caliber sprint, stopped one more twist.

Bats that changed the board

DeLauter's four-hit night set the table while Hoskins supplied the power middle. Travis Bazzana walked twice and scored his first two big league runs despite an 0-for-9 start to his career in AP's note.

Rooker and Gelof carried Oakland's early burst. Darell Hernaiz and Tyler Soderstrom took tough strikeouts before Kwan's catch, and Kurtz's night ended without a hit beyond the walk column.

AthX Engine fantasy angle

The Guardians ranked sixth on the May 1 AthX Engine team board with 14 team FP. Chase DeLauter landed 10 AthX Engine hitting FP, while Cade Smith added 9.33 AthX Engine pitching FP for his late work in daily scoring.

A game with multiple lead changes and a late save chance often spreads fantasy value across both bullpen arms and middle-order bats. AthX Engine daily scoring is separate from dynamic pricing.

What comes next

AP lined up Slade Cecconi and Jacob Lopez for Saturday. Cleveland kept a long head-to-head edge on Oakland, while the A's left the tying run on deck after a tense rally fell short.

*Sources: MLB.com schedule, MLB Gameday, ESPN, Associated Press, and AthX Engine scoring. Information only; not financial advice.*