CLEVELAND — Guardians rookie Chase DeLauter started the 2026 season as one of the hottest hitters in Major League Baseball going 9-for-26 with five home runs and eight RBIs in his first seven regular-season games.
DeLauter joined Trevor Story as the only players in MLB history to hit four home runs in their first three regular-season games.
DeLauter’s success hitting vanished recently and he entered Tuesday, April 21 with just one hit in his previous 23 at-bats. He extended that skid to 1-for-26 during Tuesday’s game against the Houston Astros until he stepped into the batter’s box in the eighth inning with the bases loaded, one out and the Guardians down a run.
DeLauter cleared the bases with a triple down the left field line off Astros reliever Bryan King that scored Angel Martínez, Brayan Rocchio and Steven Kwan. His first MLB triple snapped an 0-for-12 stretch for DeLauter and helped the Guardians win 8-5.
“At the end of the day, trying to be myself, really,” DeLauter said. “Big situation, one out, trying to get a ball forward. Tough lefty on the mound, doesn’t walk a lot of guys. Looking for a heater. Got a couple there that I fouled off, but just trying to battle and get something out there, really. Yeah. Got the pitch to hit.”
DeLauter said the AL Central-leading Guardians remained confident entering the eighth.
“Business as usual, but I mean, usual is a lot of energy,” DeLauter said. “We always believe we’re going to get a lot of runs and sometimes it works that way, sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes the hits fall and sometimes they don’t. So, I think the big thing is for us to keep that energy up, to keep the main goal in mind, have great at-bats, move on to the next guy and good things happen.”
Despite DeLauter’s recent struggles, Guardians manager Stephen Vogt has stuck with him as the No. 2 hitter in the lineup between two All-Stars, leadoff man Kwan and José Ramírez.
“It’s no secret he hasn’t gotten results [recently], but this kid’s a good hitter,” Vogt said. “Stepped up in a huge way, backing up a fastball in a two-strike count to protect for the slider, and has the ability to just shoot it down the line. It’s what good hitters do. Good hitters use the whole field and cool moment for him. Obviously, a huge hit for us.
“We needed a comeback win like that tonight. That was awesome by our guys to never quit. Great job by the bullpen. Unbelievable job by the bullpen. That’s a really good lineup over there.”
The Guardians scored six runs in the eighth Tuesday to earn their MLB-high fourth win in their last at-bat. The Guardians have the most eighth-inning runs in 2026 with 30, just ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers (26), the Los Angeles Dodgers (21) and the Miami Marlins (21).
Former Guardians reliever Enyel De Los Santos walked Daniel Schneemann and Martinez hit an infield single to start the rally in the eighth.
Rocchio hit a line drive to center field with one out to score Schneemann. King entered to pitch and walked Kwan before allowing DeLauter’s three-run triple, an intentioinal walk to Ramirez and a two-run single to Kyle Manzardo to cap the inning.
“It was definitely nice to break free with Chase and then Manzo with a huge insurance single and what a double play those guys [Manzardo, Rocchio and Cade Smith] turned there in the ninth,” Vogt said. “That was impressive.”
Rocchio said the Guardians had “a lot of energy in the dugout” in the eighth.
Guardians starter Parker Messick wasn’t as effective Tuesday as he was April 16 when he struck out nine and took a no-hit bid into the ninth inning in what turned into a 4-2 win over the Baltimore Orioles.
Messick pitched five innings Tuesday, struck out four, walked one and allowed six hits and three earned runs.
“I thought Parker was great,” Vogt said. “They made him work. I’m putting more credit on their at-bats off of him than anything else, but I thought he battled. They got to him there a little bit in the fifth, but he was still able to finish the inning. The performance five days ago was outstanding. The performance tonight was outstanding. Just didn’t get as deep as we’re used to seeing him so far this year. But you hold that lineup to three runs, that’s doing a good job.”
Shawn Armstrong and Peyton Pallette each pitched a scoreless inning in relief for the Guardians. Pallette earned his first MLB win.
“Timmy [Herrin] comes in and holds them to one run [after an error in the seventh],” Vogt said. “That was an unbelievable job, and Peyton with a clean eighth. That kept us in the game, allowed the guys to come back and mount the win.”
The Guardians also received key hits from other younger players, as George Valera singled in Ramirez in the first and Martinez hit a solo home run off Ryan Weiss in the second.
“I love the growth of our guys,” Vogt said. “We are seeing it in front of us. … Having George back has been huge for us. Just a quality at bat there in the middle of the order [in the first inning], and we know he can hit the ball. We know he can drive the ball.”
Akron Beacon Journal sports writer Michael Beaven can be reached by email at mbeaven@thebeaconjournal.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Chase DeLauter snaps his skid, wins game for Guardians
Reporting by Michael Beaven, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
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