Bo Naylor, Brayan Rocchio help Guardians finish off sweep of White Sox

CLEVELAND — Bo Naylor had a day to remember, but a dazzling defensive play by Brayan Rocchio for the last out of the game was truly special. With the tying run on third, Chicago White Sox designated hitter Andrew Benintendi drove a ball up the middle that seemed destined to tie the game. Out of nowhere, Rocchio dove for the ball, jumped to his feet and threw out Benintendi by a step to preserve the Guardians' 3-2 victory before 22,320 at Progressive Field. "That was the best play I've seen in my life," Cleveland starter Slade Cecconi said. "That was special. These guys are ballin' out right now." The Guardians (78-71) swept the White Sox in the three-game series and have won nine of their last 10 games. They climbed to 2½ games behind Houston for the final wild card spot with 13 games to play. Naylor, who came into the game batting .183, was 2-for-3 with a double, home run and three RBIs. The catcher drove in the winning run with a solo homer in the seventh inning. "What a great day," Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said of Naylor. "He had a clutch two-run double (in the fourth). It was an all-around unbelievable homestand." Cleveland was 6-1 on the homestand and will travel to face first-place Detroit on Tuesday in what might be the biggest road trip of the season. Naylor went deep off left-handed reliever Brandon Eisert (3-6, 4.29) for his 12th home run of the season. It traveled an estimated 375 feet into the seats in right field and handed Cleveland a 3-2 lead. Naylor doubled over the head of center fielder Dominic Fletcher in the fourth to give the Guardians a short-lived 2-1 advantage. Chicago's Chase Meidroth homered on a 0-2 pitch with one out in the fifth off Cecconi, who earned a no-decision. Meidroth's fifth home run of the season traveled an estimated 371 feet and extended his hitting streak to 10 games. "(Cecconi) made one mistake," Vogt said. "Slade has been really good for us. He didn't have his slider, but his curveball was really good." Cecconi pitched 5 2/3 innings and allowed three hits, two runs (both earned) and one walk and struck out four. He threw 93 pitches, 61 for strikes. "I was pitching to contact: 'Here it is, hit it,' " he said. "I've been throwing my curveball very well. That pitch has been the biggest factor in my turnaround. Everyone in the building has been pushing me to be the best version of myself." In his last start against Kansas City, he took a no-hitter into the eighth inning. "That was the third-best game of the week," Cecconi joked, referring to pitching gems by Joey Cantillo and Tanner Bibee. Rocchio, a career shortstop, has been thriving at second base since returning from Triple-A Columbus. His game-saving play in the ninth inning was a thing of beauty. "You can't replicate that play," Rocchio said. Naylor said he saw the ball heading toward center field and thought it had tied the game. "Then Superman made a play," he said. "That's just pure instinct." Vogt said fans don't realize what goes into a play like that. "He makes it look so smooth," he said. "You can't describe how many things go into a play like that. It's one of the best defensive plays I've seen." Right-hander Matt Festa (5-3, 4.07) earned the victory with one inning of relief. He struck out the side in the seventh inning. Chicago's Miguel Vargas drove in Lenyn Sosa with a double in the fourth inning for the first run of the game. White Sox starter Yoendrys Gomez was effective for five innings and allowed just two hits, two runs (both earned) and one walk. The right-hander struck out four batters. Now, it's onto Motown for a three-game series against the Tigers. "The vibes are high," Naylor said. "In our minds, the job is not finished." Contact Bob Finnan at rfinnan30@gmail.com.