Cleveland Guardians’ protection crumbles late in 4-2 loss to San Francisco Giants
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Manager Terry Francona calls it playing “clean baseball.” In other words, playing baseball without mistakes.
He knew that would be a challenge at times this season with the youngest roster in the big leagues. One of those challenges arrived Saturday night in the Guardians’ 4-2 loss to the Giants at Progressive Field.
In the eighth inning, with the score tied, 2-2, a botched double play and a wild pitch allowed the Giants to score twice against Nick Sandlin (0-1) on the way to their fourth straight win.
Brandon Belt started the eighth with an infield hit to third. First baseman Owen Miller put a glove on Jose Ramirez’s throw, but Belt’s hand knocked the ball loose. Sandlin struck out Darin Ruf, but allowed a single to Austin Slater and walked Brandon Crawford to load the bases.
Wilmer Flores sent a hard grounder to Ernie Clement at second. Clement made a nice stop and threw to Amed Rosario for the force at second, but Miller was late getting to first and Rosario had to double pump. The delay allowed Flores to be safe and belt to score for a 3-2 lead. Sandlin followed with a wild pitch that skipped past rookie catcher Bryan Lavastida as Slater scored for a 4-2 edge.
Dominic Leone (1-0), who pitched for Cleveland in 2020, pitched a scoreless seventh for the win. Jake McGee pitched the ninth for his first save of the season, allowing the first two batters to reach base. After Clement bounced into a force at second, McGee struck out pinch hitter Oscar Mercado with runners on the corners and then induced a bouncer to the mound from Myles Straw to end the game.
On the double play that wasn’t turned, Miller was on his way to the middle of the diamond to take the cutoff throw from center field because he anticipated the ball was getting through. When Clement gloved the ball, Miller had to backtrack to the bag.
“We talked to him about it,” Francona said. “I want to make sure we’re just not beating him over the head with it. We’re moving him around and we just explained, ‘Hey, slow down. Think about what your priorities are.’ Those are things that are going to happen, hopefully not every night, with youth. There is going to be some growing pains at times.”
Miller said he used the wrong footwork on the play. There is nothing wrong with what he’s doing at the plate. He went 2-for-2 with two walks and is leading the AL with a .560 (14-for-25) batting average.
“My footwork got mixed up and I took a wrong step,” said Miller. “It just took me a little bit longer to get back to the base.”
As for his success at the plate, Miller said, “I always like to say, ‘Don’t let early numbers foot you good or bad.’ I just try to keep a level head and get to work each day.”
The Guardians’ feast-or-famine offense is once again on a diet of bread and water. They scored one run in their first two games of the season, 44 runs in the next four and three in losses to the Giants on Friday and Saturday nights.
Straw pulled the Guardians into a 2-2 tie in the seventh with a double off the wall in left. Miller opened the inning with a double. Miller leads the AL with seven doubles and eight extra-base hits.
Giants starter Anthony DeSclafani retired the next two batters, but Straw doubled to erase San Francisco’s 2-1 lead. When the ball left the bat, it appeared Straw may have homered off DeSclafani, but a strong wind blowing in from left field kept the ball in the park.
San Francisco’s pitchers entered the game limiting the opposition to a .141 batting average with two out.
The Guardians loaded the bases in the sixth as Jarlin Garcia walked Josh Naylor and Miller with two out. The inning ended when pinch-hitter Clement grounded into a force out at second.
Straw opened the game with a triple down the left field line. He was called out by third-base umpire Paul Emmel, but the Guardians challenged and the call was overturned to give Straw his first triple of the season. Steven Kwan went down on a shallow fly ball to left, but Jose Ramirez sent a sacrifice fly to center to score Straw for a 1-0 lead. It was Ramirez’s AL-leading 15th RBI.
Cal Quantrill protected the lead through four innings, but he threw a lot of pitches to do so. In the fifth, following a one-out single by Thairo Estrada, Steven Duggan doubled off the wall in left to put runners on second and third. The double came on Quantrill’s 79th pitch.
He came back to strike out Joey Bart on a 3-2 pitch, but walked Mike Yastrzemski to load the bases. Lefty Logan Allen relieved to face lefty Brandon Belt, but Belt singled through the middle for a 2-1 lead — it was the first base hit in 23 at-bats for Belt against Cleveland. Allen stopped the Giants right there as Darin Ruf went down on a fly ball to right.
“He competed so well that I really wanted to give him a chance to get out of the fifth,” said Francona. “I probably left him in one hitter longer than I was comfortable with, but I thought he’d earned it.”
Quantrill allowed two runs on two hits in 4 2/3 innings. He throws 91 pitches, striking out two and walking three.
DeSclafani allowed two runs on five hits in 4 2/3 innings. He struck out four with no walks.
Next: RHP Aaron Civale (0-0, 5.40) will face the Giants and LHP Alex Wood (0-0, 4.5) on Sunday at 1:40 pm Bally Sports Great Lakes and WTAM will carry the game.
–
Guardians merchandise for sale: Here’s where you can order new Cleveland Guardians gear, including T-shirts, hats, jerseys, hoodies, and much more.
If you or a loved one has questions or needs to talk to a professional about gambling, call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit 1800gambler.net for more information.
Will the real offense stand and reveal itself? hey hoynsie
Ramírez got his payday, then collected 1,000th hit
Guardians silenced 4-1 by Giants’ Rodon
Guardians home opener sights, sounds
Unwritten rules don’t trump common sense for Francona: Takeaways
1918 PD ad for ballgame: Gallery
Dolan, Ramirez ‘step up’ to get deal done
Inside Jose Ramirez’s 7-year, $141 million contract: Pluto
Naylor activated from IL, Pilkington optioned to AAA
Sarah Langs talks offense, Kwan: Podcast
Photos from a decade of home openers
