Smith allowed one hit and one walk while striking out two over a scoreless eighth inning in Tuesday's 2-1 win over the Twins.
Smith has operated as a fill-in closer while Emmanuel Clase worked on the demons that plagued him early in 2025. Clase followed Smith to pitch the ninth inning of a 1-1 game, which indicates the former is still a trusted late-game arm and in the closer mix.
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Guardians' Cade Smith: Collects third save
Rotowire
Smith recorded his third save of the season in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader against the Red Sox, giving up a hit and a walk in a scoreless ninth inning. He struck out one batter.
Emmanuel Clase, who had been dealing with a sore shoulder, struck out two in a perfect eighth inning during the matinee as he saw his first game action since Sunday, leaving the ninth to Smith. Smith has been by far the more effective pitcher of the two in the early going, posting a 1.29 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 17:5 K:BB through 14 innings while converting all three of his save chances and adding seven holds, but the Guardians would prefer for Clase to regain his form and settle back in to closing duties.
Smith threw a perfect inning and earned a save against the Yankees on Tuesday.
Smith needed only four pitches in the ninth inning to close out the 3-2 victory. He recorded seven holds through 11 appearances to start the year but has now converted saves in back-to-back days. Those two save chances came directly after Emmanuel Clase was rocked for three runs in a blown save against the Pirates on Sunday while pitching for a third straight day, which inflated his season ERA to 7.84. Clase has not appeared during either of the last two games while dealing with some shoulder discomfort, though for now it appears he'll avoid the injured list. Smith owns a 1.38 ERA with a 16:4 K:BB through 13 innings this season and could see a boost to his fantasy profile, depending on the health of Clase.
Smith collected the save in Monday's 6-4 victory over the Yankees, pitching a scoreless inning while allowing one hit and no walks. He struck out two.
Smith neatly retired the side on 11 pitches, which included nine strikes. The 25-year-old completed the feat in style, striking out Aaron Judge swinging to end the game. Smith earned the save chance because Emmanuel Clase had pitched on three consecutive days prior to Monday. Despite the Cleveland closer's unsightly 7.84 ERA over 10.1 innings, Smith will likely remain in a setup role for the time being.
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Guardians' Cade Smith: Earns fifth hold
Rotowire
Smith struck out two in a scoreless inning to earn a hold during Saturday's 6-3 win over Kansas City.
With the Guardians up 3-1, Smith opened the top of the eighth inning with the task of getting the lead to closer Emmanuel Clase. He made quick work of the Royals for his fifth hold, before Cleveland stretched the lead with three runs in the bottom of the frame. Smith has allowed two unearned runs over eight outings, giving up three hits and three walks while striking out nine over 7.2 innings.
Smith (6-1) struck out three over 1.2 perfect innings to earn the win Friday over the Orioles.
Carlos Carrasco covered only 4.1 innings, and Smith was able to vulture a win with another strong performance. This outing extended Smith's scoreless streak to 16 innings over his last 13 appearances, and he's allowed just six hits and two walks while striking out 25 in that span. For the season, he's at a 1.86 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and 74:11 K:BB, and he's backed up those stellar numbers with a 1.42 FIP and 2.34 xERA that suggest his results are mostly earned.
Smith (5-1) struck out three over 1.2 perfect innings to earn the win Tuesday over the Tigers.
Xzavion Curry couldn't complete five innings, and Smith ended up with the win after the Guardians pulled ahead in their half of the fifth. Smith's scoreless streak is up to 9.2 innings, a span in which he has an 18:1 K:BB. For the year, he's at a 2.11 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 67:10 K:BB through 47 innings. He's added a save, 14 holds and a blown save, though he has just two holds and two wins over nine appearances in July. Smith's elite ratios make him an intriguing fantasy option even with virtually no path to saves.
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Guardians' Cade Smith: Picks up fourth win
Rotowire
Smith (4-1) struck out one in a perfect inning to earn the win Sunday over the Giants.
Smith pitched the sixth inning, and the Guardians took the lead in their half of the frame to make him the pitcher of record. After a strong first two months of the season, Smith has taken a bit of a step back, allowing six runs over his last 14.1 innings since the start of June. He's now at a 2.50 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 53:9 K:BB while adding a save and 13 holds over 39.2 innings.
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Guardians' Cade Smith: Tagged with loss Friday
Rotowire
Smith (3-1) allowed a run on three hits and struck out one over one inning Friday, taking the loss versus the Marlins.
It was a rare hiccup for Smith, who gave up a run-scoring single to Jazz Chisholm in the eighth inning. This appearance ended Smith's 12-inning scoreless streak, during which he had a 14:1 K:BB. He's at a 1.82 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 39:7 K:BB over 29.2 innings with a save and six holds as he continues to grow into a high-leverage role as a rookie.
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Guardians' Cade Smith: Secures another win
Rotowire
Smith (3-0) allowed one hit over 1.2 scoreless innings to earn the win over the Royals on Tuesday. He did not strike out or walk a batter.
Smith entered the game while the Guardians were down, 5-3, but they put together a rally in the seventh inning to put him in line for the win. During his 10.1-inning scoreless streak, Smith has two wins, one save, four holds and a 14:1 K:BB. That impressive stretch has helped him get into the high-leverage mix. He's been fantastic in his first big-league season with a 1.67 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 38:7 K:BB over 27 innings, though he's unlikely to be anything more than a setup man with Emmanuel Clase entrenched as the closer.
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Guardians' Cade Smith: Collects second win
Rotowire
Smith (2-0) allowed a hit and struck out three without walking a batter over 1.1 scoreless innings to earn the win Tuesday versus the Rockies.
Smith got the final out of the sixth inning and also pitched the seventh after the Guardians regained the lead. The rookie right-hander has an eight-inning scoreless streak going, and he's posted a 13:1 K:BB in that span while adding a save and three holds. Smith continues to see an increasing role in the late innings, one that he's earned by pitching to a 1.82 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and 37:7 K:BB over 24.2 innings this season.
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