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If you weren’t a Cleveland Guardians fan before, it’s time to jump on the baseball bandwagon.
The team on Sunday won its 13th division title in franchise history, accomplishing the feat in an underdog-spectacular run that feels particularly Cleveland.
The Guardians trailed the Tigers by 15½ games in early July. Even in early September, they were still looking up at an 11-game deficit. According to baseball historians, they surpassed the 1914 Boston Braves for the largest championship comeback in MLB history, a record that stood for 110 years.
The Guardians host the Detroit Tigers at 1 p.m. today at Progressive Field in Game 1 of the American League Wild Card Series, with Game 2 Wednesday.
Need a primer on the team? Get it all here.
If you can’t make it to the ballfield, we’ve got 20 bars where you can watch the game.
— Laura
Overnight Scores and Weather
Northeast Ohio weather forecast: Sunny weather holds
Top Stories
Postseason Guardians: Casual fans might look at the roster of Cleveland’s baseball team and ask “Who are these guys?” Joe Noga offers a closer look.
Driving app: Gov. Mike DeWine unveiled a tool Monday designed to provide feedback to new drivers — and their parents — on key areas from their practice drives, including every hard stop, turns without signals and driving speed. The tool is a mobile app called RoadReady Ohio that can record driving practices and provide data as learning drivers log road time, Laura Hancock reports.
Hopkins passengers: Cleveland Hopkins International Airport has lowered its 2025 passenger forecast to 10.1 million, reflecting a national trend of declining air traffic. Susan Glaser reports that the airport saw a slight uptick in August, with 925,425 passengers, but remains below previous projections.
Today in Ohio: When Ohioans overwhelmingly approved redistricting reform, they put their faith in legislators to draw fair Congressional representation. On Today in Ohio, we’re talking about how the process has been corrupted.
Statehouse and Politics
Modell Law: Ohio’s revised “Art Modell Law” has taken effect, which clears the way for the Browns to move to Brook Park despite ongoing legal challenges from Cleveland about the stadium relocation, Jeremy Pelzer reports.
Government shutdown: A potential federal government shutdown looms Wednesday, Sabrina Eaton reports. Hundreds of thousands of federal employees could be furloughed and critical services disrupted if Congress and President Trump cannot reach a funding agreement.
Ticket quotas: A new Ohio law is making police ticket quotas illegal, preventing departments from evaluating officers based on the number of citations they issue. The law has received strong support from police unions and public advocates, reports Anna Staver.
Mail-in voting: Trump’s demands to ban mail-in voting create a dilemma for Ohio Republicans, who previously praised the state’s election system. Today in Ohio podcast hosts discuss how the party must now choose between supporting Trump’s unproven claims or defending their historically secure voting process.
Government secrecy: Geauga County officials refuse to disclose details of a federal immigration detention contract despite legal experts arguing the agreement should be public. Today in Ohio podcast hosts decry the secrecy.
Northeast Ohio News
East Cleveland: Ohio Auditor Keith Faber intends to formally request Attorney General Dave Yost launch legal proceedings to appoint a receiver for East Cleveland, a move that is aimed at resolving financial problems that have chronically plagued the city, Mary Frances McGowan reports.
Gerrymandering: Columnist Leila Atassi criticizes Gov. Mike DeWine for failing to follow through on promises to reform Ohio’s gerrymandering, leaving the state’s maps heavily skewed and undermining democratic fairness.
Deer culling: Shaker Heights plans to add surgical sterilization to its deer management program for the first time this year, complementing the practice of culling the herd with sharpshooters, reports Cory Shaffer.
Planned fires: Four locations within Cuyahoga Valley National Park will be subject to prescribed burns over the next several months in order to improve the natural habitat and protect its neighbors, Peter Krouse reports.
River swim: Could the Cuyahoga River become clean enough for swimming? Peter Krouse reports that experts remain cautious about water quality and safety challenges.
Service dogs: Cuyahoga County has proclaimed September as National Service Dog Month, working to create local programs to help veterans access service dogs at no cost and improve community awareness, reports Kaitlin Durbin.
Tax renewal: Voters in Summit County will decide on Issue 1, a tax renewal and increase to fund mental health and recovery programs. Megan Becka reports the levy will cost about $75 annually per $100,000 home value and take effect in 2026.
Business and Health
AI research: A former Progressive Insurance executive and a brain researcher explore how studying stroke patients could help create more energy-efficient AI models, reports Sean McDonnell.
Crime and Courts
Flats shooting: A 21-year-old Cleveland man, Zai Vyon Frederick Ocie Jackson, was killed outside Punch Bowl Social in The Flats early Sunday morning. Olivia Mitchell reports the shooting marks Cleveland’s 78th homicide of the year.
Massage parlors: Police have raided three Cleveland-area massage parlors after executing search warrants as part of an investigation, reports Lucas Daprile. The raids were part of a larger, statewide operation that targeted nine Ohio parlors and the people who ran them.
Student killed: A16-year-old Valley Forge High School student was shot and killed at an Airbnb party on Cleveland’s West Side, reports Olivia Mitchell. Police arrested an 18-year-old suspect.
Stabbing trial: A Cuyahoga County judge on Monday rejected Bionca Ellis’ request to sequester jurors at her upcoming murder trial, reports David Gambino. Ellis, 34, is accused of fatally stabbing 3-year-old Julian Wood last year outside a North Olmsted supermarket. She is expected to mount an insanity defense at her trial, set to begin Wednesday.
Boy shot: A 10-year-old Akron boy was wounded in the face Sunday and police are investigating how the incident happened.
SWAT standoff: A man died from a self-inflicted gunshot after barricading himself inside a home in Painesville Township, Molly Walsh reports. A family member escaped unharmed with an injured dog, while another dog died of a gunshot wound.
Drugs seized: Authorities seized cocaine, firearms and drug paraphernalia from a travel trailer in Auburn Township, leading to the arrest of Alexander Jeffers on drug trafficking charges, reports Molly Walsh.
Arts and Entertainment
Great Lakes cruises: A new cruise line is coming to the Great Lakes, and this one will start and end sailings in Cleveland, adding an economic boost to the city, Susan Glaser reports. American Cruise Lines, known for its U.S.-based river cruises, will start sailing three Great Lakes itineraries in 2026.
Best seafood: Cleveland.com launches a search for the best seafood restaurant in Northeast Ohio, inviting readers to nominate their favorite local spots. Yadi Rodriguez and Peter Chakerian encourage food lovers to participate in the culinary quest.
Martin Puryear: The Cleveland Museum of Art will host “Martin Puryear: Nexus,” a career-spanning exhibition of the renowned sculptor’s work. Peter Chakerian highlights the significance of this rare exhibition, which explores connections between art, history, and culture.
Coffee cocktails: Celebrate National Coffee Day with three unique coffee cocktails, including a classic Irish Coffee and a Pumpkin Spice Espresso Martini. Paris Wolfe provides recipes that transform the everyday beverage into festive drinks.
Great Lakes Theater: Great Lakes Theater opens its 64th season with Stephen Sondheim’s challenging musical “Sunday in the Park with George.” Joey Morona highlights the production’s innovative approach to exploring artistic creativity.
Urban Meyer bar: Saucy Brew Works plans to open Urban Meyer’s Pint House in downtown Cleveland in June, taking over the former Winking Lizard location near Progressive Field. Marc Bona reports that the bar will be situated in what Saucy’s Brent Zimmerman calls “the best billboard that exists in Cleveland.”
Street Craftery: Street Craftery, a local craft studio, is expanding to a new downtown Akron location after winning second place in a sourdough competition. Megan Becka highlights owner Da’Shika A. Street’s journey from home baker to opening a brick-and-mortar bakery.
You’re all caught up
Don’t forget, you can always find the latest Cleveland news by visiting cleveland.com. If you value the hard work of Cleveland journalists, consider becoming a cleveland.com subscriber.
— Curated by content director Laura Johnston with contributions by Cliff Pinckard.
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