Cade

Smith

Smith didn’t mess around in this one, needing just nine pitches (seven strikes) to retire the side in order — getting Liam Hicks on a fly ball to right, Griffin Conine on a pop out to second base and Jakob Marsee on a fly ball to left field to end it. The 27-year-old closer now boasts a 2.70 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and a 61/11 K/BB ratio over 43 1/3 innings while converting 28 of his first 31 save chances.

Smith struck out two and didn’t allow a baserunner. The 27-year-old now has 27 saves in his first year as a full-time closer and looks every bit the part of one of the best closers in the league.

Smith was summoned to close out the game in the ninth inning with a two-run lead after the Guardians scored five runs to take the lead in the eighth. He recorded the first out, then gave up two hits before striking out one batter for the second out. An error would bring a run home and put the tying run at third. Smith then generated a groundout to end the game with his MLB-leading 26th save.

Smith took the loss in a non-save situation on Monday and blew a save on Wednesday. The 27-year-old right-hander was able to bounce back Saturday. Smith allowed two men to reach base before getting Josh Naylor to ground out to end the game. The save was his 25th. Smith has a 3.13 ERA.

Smith ended up being pulled with two outs after allowing a single and a walk following the homers. He’s given up four runs in two appearances against the White Sox over the last three days, taking his ERA from 2.38 to 3.22. He had allowed just one homer in 35 2/3 innings this season coming into the day.

With the Guardians trailing by one on the road, Smith came in and threw a scoreless eighth inning to keep the deficit from growing. After the Guardians took the lead in the top of the ninth inning, Smith was then asked to close the game out as well and ran into trouble. He walked Braden Montgomery with one out before Tristan Peters hit a double. With two outs, Sam Antonacci walked the Guardians off with a two-run single. Smith’s loss was his first of the year. His ERA is 2.78.

Smith entered with two on in the eighth and walked Willson Contreras before striking out Christian Yelich to end the threat. He then retired three of four batters in the ninth. Smith has five more saves than anyone else in the majors. This could be the fourth time in five years that a Guardians reliever has led the AL in saves, as Emmanuel Clase topped the circuit each season from 2022-24.

Smith took the mound in the eighth with two outs and a runner on and struck out the final batter in the inning before working out a walk and a hit in the ninth, closing it out for his MLB-leading 23rd save. The 27-year-old right-hander has been outstanding, posting a 2.48 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, and a 49/6 K/BB ratio across 32 2/3 innings.

Smith notched his 22nd save of the season for his efforts. The 27-year-old flame-thrower got Gleyber Torres on a ground ball to second base, Riley Greene on a swinging third strike and Dillon Dingler on a fly ball to left to end it, needing just 13 pitches (10 strikes) to get the job done. He now boasts a 2.59 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and a 47/5 K/BB ratio over 31 1/3 innings on the season while converting 22 of his first 24 save chances.

Smith struck out one to pick up his league-leading 21st save of the season. He now has 34 saves since August 1 of last season, four more than second place and exactly double ninth place. Cleveland continues to lean heavily on him, and he keeps proving to be up to the challenge. Smith has the third-highest K-BB% among relievers in ’26, trailing only Mason Miller and Jhoan Duran.