Guardians vs Braves score, recap | Cleveland drops two games in a row to Atlanta

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Guardians vs Braves score, recap | Cleveland drops two games in a row to Atlanta

Michael Beaven, Akron Beacon Journal · Akron Beacon Journal

Sat, Aug 16, 2025 ·

10 min read

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CLEVELAND — The Guardians are in the Major League Baseball playoff hunt with about six weeks left in the regular season.

The Guardians (63-58) entered Aug. 16 in contention for an American League wild-card playoff spot while simultaneously staying in the mix for the AL Central Division championship.

Cleveland started the day 1½ games out of the third and final AL wild-card spot occupied by the New York Yankees (65-57) and 7½ games behind the Detroit Tigers (72-52) for the AL Central lead.

The Guardians have won nine of 10 series and are an AL-best 23-10 since July 7, when Cleveland snapped a 10-game losing streak.

The Guardians dropped their series opener 2-0 to the Atlanta Braves Aug. 15 at Progressive Field.

The Guardians and the Braves started at 7:10 p.m. Here is how the game unfolded through our live updates :

Hunter Stratton pitches scoreless ninth inning as Braves top Guardians 10-1

Hunter Stratton worked around a single by Carlos Santana to retire the Guardians in the ninth inning and the Braves win 10-1.

Stratton worked three scoreless innings in relief of starter Joey Wentz .

Carlos Hernandez retires Braves in order in ninth inning as Guardians trail 10-1

Carlos Hernandez worked a scoreless ninth inning as he retired the Braves in order. He struck out Ozzie Albies in the inning.

Hunter Stratton pitches scoreless eighth inning as Braves lead Guardians 10-1

Hunter Stratton retired the Guardians in order in the eighth inning. He struck out Nolan Jones and Daniel Schneemann in the inning.

Carlos Hernandez enters in relief, works scoreless eighth inning against Braves as Guardians trail 10-1

Carlos Hernandez worked a scoreless eighth inning as he retired the Braves in order with a strikeout, flyout and groundout. Hernandez struck out Ronald Acuna Jr. swinging to begin the inning.

Hunter Stratton enters in relief, works scoreless seventh inning as Braves lead Guardians 10-1

Hunter Stratton entered in relief of Joey Wentz and worked a scoreless seventh inning as the Braves lead the Guardians 10-1. C.J. Kayfus and Brayan Rocchio each hit a single with two outs. Austin Hedges then hit a flyout to end the inning.

Wentz pitched six innings and allowed three hits, one earned run and two walks. He struck out five and finished with 93 pitches, 57 for strikes.

Kolby Allard works around single to retire Braves in seventh inning; Guardians trail 10-1

Kolby Allard worked around a Nick Allen single to retire the Braves in the seventh inning as the Guardians trail 10-1. Allard struck out Matt Olson to end the inning.

Braves starter Joey Wentz retires Guardians in order in sixth inning

Braves starting pitcher Joey Wentz retired the Guardians in order in the sixth inning with a strikeout, fly out and pop out. Wentz struck out Martinez to begin the inning.

Kolby Allard enters to pitch for Guardians in sixth inning, Braves extend lead to 10-1

Kolby Allard enters to pitch for the Guardians in the sixth inning and the Braves extend their lead to 10-1.

Matt Olson singled and Ronald Acuna Jr. doubled to begin the inning. Olson scored when Drake Baldwin grounded out and Acuna scored when Marcell Ozuna lifted a sacrifice fly to right field.

Michael Harris II rips a double to right field and is then stranded as Ozzie Albies hits flyout to end the inning.

Braves starter Joey Wentz retires Guardians in order in fifth inning

Braves starting pitcher Joey Wentz retired the Guardians in order in the fifth inning with a ground out and two fly outs.

Aug 16, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt (12) takes the ball from starting pitcher Slade Cecconi (44) during a pitching change in the fifth inning against the Atlanta Braves at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images

Matt Festa enters to pitch as Slade Cecconi exits; Braves lead Guardians 8-1 in fifth inning

Ozzie Albies hits a flyball that C.J. Kayfus catches near the fence in right field for the second out of the inning. Albies flyout comes directly after Michael Harris II hit a three-run home run over the right field fence off Slade Cecconi.

Nacho Alvarez Jr . and Nick Allen each hit two singles and that is it for Cecconi as Matt Festa enters to pitch.

Festa gets Jurickson Profar to ground out, 5-3 ( Jose Ramirez to Carlos Santana), to end the inning.

Cecconi works 4⅔ innings and allows 10 hits, eight runs (six earned), two walks, a hit batter and a wild pitch. He struck out three and finishes with 103 pitches, 61 for strikes.

Aug 16, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Atlanta Braves center fielder Michael Harris II (right) celebrates his three-run home run in the fifth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images

Michael Harris II hits three-run home run to give Braves 8-1 lead over Guardians in fifth inning

Michael Harris II hit a three-run home run off of Slade Cecconi to give the Braves an 8-1 lead over the Guardians in the fifth inning. Harris 14th homer this season cleared the right field fence. The ball traveled 452 feet.

Drake Baldwin and Marcell Ozuna also scored on the Harris homer. Ronald Acuna Jr. led off the inning with a single and was out at second on a fielder's choice that allowed Baldwin to reach base. Ozuna then doubled before Harris' home run.

Carlos Santana records milestone walk; Braves lead Guardians 5-1 through four innings.

Carlos Santana walked for the 1,330 time in his career during the fourth inning. He is now tied with Tim Raines for the fifth most walks by a switch-hitter in MLB history.

Santana walked with one out and was stranded as Braves starter Joey Wentz struck out Gabriel Arias and got C.J. Kayfus to ground out, 5-3 (Nacho Alvarez Jr. to Matt Olson).

Braves extend lead to 5-1 over Guardians in fourth inning

Matt Olson lifted a sacrifice fly to left fielder Steven Kwan and Nick Allen scored to give the Braves a 5-1 lead in the fourth inning.

Kwan then fired a strike to third baseman Jose Ramirez to get Jurickson Profar out to end the inning. Kwan leads MLB with 12 outfield assists.

Braves extend lead to 4-1 in fourth inning as Guardians get sloppy

Nacho Alvarez Jr. singled with one out, took second on a throwing error by Carlos Santana, advanced to third when Jurickson Profar walked and scored on a wild pitch by Slade Cecconi.

Aug 16, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians second baseman Brayan Rocchio (4) celebrates his solo home run in the third inning against the Atlanta Braves at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images

Brayan Rocchio hits a home run to cut Guardians deficit to 3-1 against Braves in third inning

Brayan Rocchio hit a home run off of Joey Wentz to cut the Guardians deficit to 3-1 against the Braves in the third inning. Rocchio cleared the left field fence for his second homer this season. The ball traveled 378 feet.

Steven Kwan singled with one out and stole second base, but he would get no further as Wentz got Angel Martinez and Jose Ramirez to each ground out, 6-3 (Nick Allen to Matt Olson), to end the inning.

Cleveland Guardians starter Slade Cecconi throws a pitch against the Atlanta Braves on Aug. 16, 2025, in Cleveland.

Guardians starter Slade Cecconi works around single to retire Braves in third inning

Guardians starting pitcher Slade Cecconi worked around a single by Marcell Ozuna to retire the Braves in the third inning. Cecconi caught a throw from second baseman Brayan Rocchio and stepped on first base to beat Michael Harris to the bag and record the final out of the inning.

Braves starter Joey Wentz works around walk to retire Guardians in second inning

Braves starting pitcher Joey Wentz worked around a walk to Carlos Santana to retire the Guardians in the second inning. Wentz struck out David Fry , Gabriel Arias and C.J. Kayfus in the inning.

Nick Allen, Marcell Ozuna, Nacho Alvarez Jr. give Braves 3-0 lead over Guardians in second inning

Nick Allen doubles on a sharp line drive to left field, and Marcell Ozuna and Nacho Alvarez Jr. each score to give the Braves a 3-0 lead with two outs in the second inning.

Slade Cecconi walks Jurickson Profar and gets Matt Olson to strikeout swinging to end the inning.

Aug 16, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Atlanta Braves catcher Drake Baldwin (30) slides safely to third base beside Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez (11) in the second inning at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images

Drake Baldwin, Nacho Alvarez Jr. give Braves 1-0 lead over Guardians in second inning

Nacho Alvarez Jr. singles on a sharp line drive to left field and Drake Baldwin scores to give the Braves a 1-0 lead with two outs in the secod inning. Alvarez hit a double to right field to lead off the inning and Marcell Ozuna reached base after being hit by a Slade Cecconi pitch ahead of the hut by Alvarez.

CLEVELAND, OHIO - AUGUST 16: Joey Wentz #33 of the Atlanta Braves throws a pitch during the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on August 16, 2025 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)

Braves starter Joey Wentz works around single to retire Guardians in first inning

Braves starting pitcher Joey Wentz worked around a single by Steven Kwan to retire the Guardians in the first inning. Angel Martinez hit into a 5-4-3 (Nacho Alvarez Jr. to Ozzie Albies to Matt Olson) double-play and Jose Ramirez popped out to Olson.

Aug 16, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians left fielder Steven Kwan (38) singles in the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images

Guardians starter Slade Cecconi retires Braves in order in first inning

Guardians starting pitcher Slade Cecconi retired the Braves in order in the first inning. He struck out Matt Olson looking for the second out of the inning.

Below is some pregame information:

Jul 28, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Slade Cecconi (44) delivers a pitch in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images

Cleveland Guardians game today | Pitching matchup

Right-handed pitcher Slade Cecconi is set to start for the Guardians and the Braves will counter with left-hander Joey Wentz.

Cecconi is 5-5 with a 4.11 ERA this season, and Wentz is 3-3 with a 5.03 ERA.

Aug 14, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians left fielder Steven Kwan (38) singles in the first inning against the Miami Marlins at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images

Cleveland Guardians players | Today's lineup vs Atlanta Braves

Steven Kwan, LF
Angel Martinez, CF
José Ramírez, 3B
David Fry, DH
Carlos Santana, 1B
Gabriel Arias, SS
C.J. Kayfus, RF
Brayan Rocchio, 2B
Austin Hedges, C

CLEVELAND, OHIO - AUGUST 15: Ozzie Albies #1 of the Atlanta Braves hits a single during the second inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on August 15, 2025 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)

Atlanta Braves players | Today's lineup vs Cleveland Guardians

Jurickson Profar, LF
Matt Olson, 1B
Ronald Acuna Jr., RF
Drake Baldwin, C
Marcell Ozuna, DH
Michael Harris II, CF
Ozzie Albies, 2B
Nacho Alvarez Jr., 3B
Nick Allen, SS

Aug 1, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians first baseman Carlos Santana (41) celebrates after scoring during the second inning against the Minnesota Twins at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images — Cleveland Guardians' Carlos Santana celebrates after scoring a run against the Minnesota Twins on Aug. 1, 2025, in Cleveland.

MLB Standings: American League Central Division

The American League Central Division standings entering Aug. 16:

Detroit Tigers 72-52
Guardians 63-58 (7½ games behind)
Kansas City Royals 61-61 (10)
Minnesota Twins 57-65 (14)
Chicago White Sox 44-78 (27)

Excusive Cleveland Guardians play-by-play radio announcer Tom Hamilton bobblehead.

Guardians celebrate Hall of Fame play-by-play announcer Tom Hamilton

Prior to tonight's game, the Guardians celebrated Hall of Fame play-by-play announcer Tom Hamilton on the field. Hamilton was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame earlier this summer as the Ford C. Frick Award Winner and has also been enshrined in the Guardians Distinguished Hall of Fame in Heritage Park.

Aug 14, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez (11) scores beside Miami Marlins catcher Liam Hicks (34) in the seventh inning at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images

Cleveland Guardians surge up AL Central standings

The Guardians recent hot streak has put them back in position to make the playoffs after having a 40-48 record at the end of the day on July 6 and trailing the Tigers by 15½ games. Detroit was 57-34 on July 6. Minnesota was 43-47, Kansas City was 43-48 and the Chicago White Sox were 30-60.

The Guardians started its recent success on the road ahead of the All-Star Game with a 6-1 record from July 7-13, compiling a three-game sweep of the Houston Astros and winning three out of four games against the Chicago White Sox.

Cleveland then won series against the Athletics , Orioles, Rockies , Twins, Mets , White Sox and Marlins . The Guards swept a three-game series Aug. 4-6 against the New York Mets in Queens.

Where can I watch the Cleveland Guardians game tonight?

The game on Aug. 16 can be viewed locally on Cleveland Guardians TV (Spectrum Channel 1306), AT&T U-verse (Channel 1736), COX (Channel 80), DIRECTV Satellite and Streaming (Channel 662) and FuboTV. It can be streamed via MLB's direct-to-consumer streaming subscription ( CLEGuardians.TV ). It can be viewed out of market on MLB Network and is available on the radio via WTAM 1100, WMMS 100.7 and WARF 1350.

Cleveland Guardians catcher Austin Hedges (27) and relief pitcher Cade Smith celebrate a win over the Miami Marlins on Aug. 14, 2025, in Cleveland.

Cleveland Guardians schedule | Upcoming games vs Arizona Diamondbacks , Texas Rangers

The Guardians are scheduled to have a six-game road trip against the Arizona Diamondbacks (Aug. 18-20) and then the Texas Rangers (Aug. 22-24).

Michael Beaven can be reached by email at mbeaven@thebeaconjournal.com and is on Twitter at @MBeavenABJ .

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Guardians game score, lineup vs Braves live updates, highlights

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