Rocchio’s Grand Slam, Walk-Off Homer Lift Guardians

Brayan Rocchio powered the Cleveland Guardians to a 7-6 comeback victory over the Detroit Tigers in the first game of Friday’s split doubleheader, hitting a tying grand slam in the fourth inning and a walk-off solo homer in the ninth. Cleveland erased a 6-1 deficit with six unanswered runs, overcoming difficult outings from Logan Allen and Detroit starter Keider Montero, who surrendered six earned runs in four innings. Rocchio went 2-for-4 with two homers, five RBIs and two runs, becoming the sixth player in MLB history to hit a grand slam and a walk-off homer in the same game. His ninth-inning blast was his third career walk-off home run and helped keep Cleveland in the final American League wild-card position. The Guardians’ victory was their third in seven games during a critical homestand, while Detroit fell to 4-15 since Aug. 14.