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Guardians score today vs Rangers. DeLauter, Hedges help Cleveland win
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- Guardians score today vs Rangers. DeLauter, Hedges help Cleveland win
CLEVELAND -- The Guardians and Rangers wrapped up their three-game series with a game that felt like it was being played in the Texas heat, as Cleveland won 9-4.
Temperatures approached 100 degrees all over Northeast Ohio, with the real feel being even higher.
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A pair of lefties will took the mound, with Cleveland 's Joey Cantillo going opposite Texas' MacKenzie Gore.
Here's how the game unfolded through our live updates.
Guardians beat the Rangers
The Guardians took down the Rangers 9-4. Austin Hedges had a two-run home run and Chase DeLauter went 3-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a run scored.
Austin Hedges hits home run
Just a few days after Josh Naylor talked trash to Austin Hedges, the latter has launched a two-run home run to left field.
He now sports an OPS of .714, a very respectable number for him, especially considering his defensive value.
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It's 9-4 Guardians.
Guardians catcher Austin Hedges celebrates rounding the bases after hitting an eighth-inning home run against the Texas Rangers, July 1, 2026, in Cleveland.
Elias Diaz blasts home run
Elias Diaz blasted a solo home run to the bleachers in left field, which must be absolutely scorching hot today.
The Guardians lead 7-4.
Jul 1, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians pinch hitter Steven Kwan (38) rounds third base en route to a triple during the seventh inning against the Texas Rangers at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
Steven Kwan, Chase DeLauter extend Guardians lead vs Rangers
Steven Kwan tripled down the left-field line and came around to score on Chase DeLauter's single to right field. Later, DeLauter scored on a wild pitch.
It's been a somewhat sloppy game, but it's also a million degrees, so perhaps it's understandable. It's 7-3 Guardians.
Jul 1, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt (12) relieves pitcher Joey Cantillo (54) during the sixth inning against the Texas Rangers at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
Rangers close the gap vs Guardians
Joey Cantillo never quite had a strong hold of the strike zone today, and he opened the top of the sixth inning with a walk -- his fifth of the day -- which led to manager Stephen Vogt turning the ball over to Colin Holderman.
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From there, Josh Smith singled to put two runners on. Elias Diaz brought home one run with a groundout, and Nicky Lopez followed with an RBI double to make it 5-3.
Cantillo ended his day with four strikeouts, five walks and two earned runs allowed.
Jul 1, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians pitcher Joey Cantillo (54) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Texas Rangers at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
Joey Cantillo escapes bases loaded jam
The Rangers have made it 5-1, but in reality Joey Cantillo did well to escape the inning without any more damage done.
Cantrillo has struggled to find the strike zone today and started the top of the third inning with back-to-back walks. A single to left field then loaded the bases with nobody out.
Cantillo struck out Jake Burger for the first out but then walked Kyle Higashioka to score a run. It was an odd bad considering Higashioka challenged two calls and Guardians catcher Austin Hedges challenged a third, and none of the three were overturned.
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Cam Cauley then grounded into a 4-3 double play to end the inning, preserving a four-run lead for Cleveland despite Cantillo dealing with a lot of traffic early.
Guardians left fielder David Fry rounds the bases after hitting a three-run home run in the second inning against the Texas Rangers, July 1, 2026, in Cleveland.
Guardians, Rangers score as Cleveland roughs up MacKenzie Gore
The Guardians took a 5-0 lead with a few very different scoring plays in the bottom of the second inning.
Cleveland took a 1-0 lead with a safety squeeze bunt by Austin Hedges, actually one of the more consistent bunters in the league, to score Brayan Rocchio as he dove head-first into home plate.
The Guardians took a 2-0 lead thanks to a wild pitch by Rangers starter MacKenzie Gore.
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And a few pitchers later, David Fry belted a three-run home run to right-center field, making it 5-0.
That's a bunt, a wild pitch and then a towering home run, all to make it a five-run inning.
Guardians right fielder Chase DeLauter steals second base as Texas Rangers second baseman Justin Foscue is late with the tag during the seventh inning, July 1, 2026, in Cleveland.
Below is some pregame information.
Guardians lineup vs Rangers
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David Fry, LF
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Chase DeLauter, RF
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Rhys Hoskins, 1B
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Kyle Manzardo, DH
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Brayan Rocchio, SS
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Gabriel Arias, 3B
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Kahlil Watson, CF
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Austin Hedges, C
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Daniel Schneemann, 2B
Where can I watch/stream the Guardians-Rangers game today?
The July 1 Guardians-Rangers game can be viewed on Guardians TV.
When is the Guardians game today?
The July 1 Guardians-Rangers game is set for a first-pitch time of 1:10 p.m.
Ryan Lewis covers the Guardians for the Akron Beacon Journal. He can be reached at rlewis1@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Guardians score today vs Rangers. DeLauter, Hedges help Cleveland win
