Fastball

Cleveland Guardians Slugger Continues to Move Up Historic List Among Canadian Players

The Cleveland Guardians lost on Friday night in Game 5 of the ALCS, but you can't blame Josh Naylor.

Brady Farkas

Cleveland Guardians first baseman Josh Naylor (22) runs after hitting a two RBI double in the seventh inning against the New York Yankees during game four of the ALCS for the 2024 MLB playoffs at Progressive Field on Oct 18.
Cleveland Guardians first baseman Josh Naylor (22) runs after hitting a two RBI double in the seventh inning against the New York Yankees during game four of the ALCS for the 2024 MLB playoffs at Progressive Field on Oct 18. / David Dermer-Imagn Images
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The Cleveland Guardians lost to the New York Yankees 8-6 on Friday night in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series at Progressive Field.

With the loss, the Guardians now trail the Yankees 3-1 in the best-of-seven series. After winning the American League Central, they are just one loss away from elimination.

Despite the loss, Game 5 was a big one for Guardians slugger Josh Naylor. He went 2-for-5 with a double, a single and three RBI.

He also moved up a pair of historic lists among Canadian-born players.

Per the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum on social media:

Josh Naylor passes HoF’er Larry Walker with his 6th career playoff double (2nd all-time) and passes HoF’er George Selkirk with his 11th career RBI (4th all-time). @SNstats @baseballcanada @coopincanada

Naylor had a phenomenal season and continues to be a driving force in the Guardians lineup. Still just 27 years old, he hit .243 this year with 31 homers and 108 RBI. He pairs with Jose Ramirez to make one of the best offensive duos in the entire American League.

The Guardians will take on the Yankees again on Saturday night as they look to extend their season. First pitch from Progressive Field is set for 8:08 p.m. ET. Carlos Rodon, who started Game 1, will take the ball for New York. The Guardians will go with right-hander Tanner Bibee, who started Game 2 of this series. Considering he's on short rest, he likely can't be expected to deliver a lengthy outing.

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Brady Farkas
BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is a baseball writer for Fastball on Sports Illustrated/FanNation and the host of 'The Payoff Pitch' podcast which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Videos on baseball also posted to YouTube. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. You can follow him on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady. 

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