Guardians closer Cade Smith accomplishes feat never seen before in MLB playoff history

Cleveland Guardians closer Cade Smith keeps shouldering a postseason workload that no pitcher in MLB history has ever matched. Smith extended that stretch during Monday’s 7-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays in ALCS Game 1, retiring all three batters he faced in the ninth inning to seal the Guardians’ fourth straight playoff win . The streak began during the first 0-2 series comeback in franchise history vs. the Chicago White Sox in the ALDS. MLB.com’s Sarah Langs took to X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday to highlight Smith’s historic postseason workload, crediting the Elias Sports Bureau for the research.