Guardians

Guardians get 4-2 spring training win against Oakland as José Ramírez, Mike Zunino hit home runs

By Joe Noga,

Updated: Mar. 11, 2023, 6:19 p.m.

CLEVELAND, Ohio —

José Ramírez and Mike Zunino each launched two-run home runs for the Guardians on Saturday in a 4-2 spring training win against Oakland at Goodyear Ballpark.

Ramírez took Athletics starter Ken Waldichuk deep in the first inning after Steven Kwan led off with a double and Amed Rosario popped out to right. Zunino blasted a Waldichuk offering to nearly the same spot as Ramírez down the left field line after Gabriel Arias drew a one-out walk in the second.

It was the first spring training home run for Ramírez, who homered on Wednesday during an exhibition game against Team Mexico in a World Baseball Classic warmup that did not officially count toward his Cactus League stats. Zunino’s home run was also his first official tally of the spring, despite homering in a B squad game against San Diego on Thursday.

The two home runs represented all the scoring Cleveland could muster, but starting pitcher Aaron Civale and six Guardians relievers made it hold up. Civale surrendered an RBI double to Oakland’s Lawrence Butler in the third and an RBI sacrifice fly to Tony Kemp later in the inning to complete the scoring. But Civale settled in and completed three innings, allowing just two hits and a walk with five strikeouts.

Trevor Stephan, Enyel De Los Santos, Nick Sandlin, Joey Cantillo, Peyton Battenfield and Logan Allen each tossed scoreless innings with Oakland’s only other base runners coming on a Jonah Bride single off Sandlin in the sixth and a J.J. Bleday walk by Cantillo in the seventh.

Kwan was the only Guardians player with multiple hits.

Next: The Guardians are back in action at 4:05 p.m. ET on Sunday when they take on the Royals at Surprise Stadium. Right-hander Xzavion Curry (0-0, 5.40) will start for Cleveland while Kansas City counters with lefty Daniel Lynch (0-0, 3.86).

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WBC japan/mexico WOW !!!!!

Oscar doubles and homers in a 10-0 win. Maybe he's ready now. Those were his first xb hits of the spring
Quantrill 5 2/3 no hit inings.

Guardians

Shane Bieber strikes out 11 in his spring finale as Guardians beat Rockies, 4-2.

By Paul Hoynes

Updated: Mar. 26, 2023, 1:56 a.m.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -

Shane Bieber is ready for opening day.

Truth be known, he’s been ready since day one of camp, but Saturday night proved it once and for all.

Bieber struck out 11 in 6 2/3 innings as the Guardians beat the Rockies, 4-2, at Salt River Fields.

In five starts this spring, Bieber is 2-0 with a 1.54 ERA. He’s struck out 25, walked two and allowed four hits in 23 1/3 innings. That does not include the stats from a B game start against the Padres.

“He was really good,” said manager Terry Francona. “It was pretty impressive to see him manipulate between his cutter, slider and curveball.”

He will start the season opener Thursday against Seattle and Luis Castillo at T-Mobile Park.

Bieber retired the last nine Rockies he faced, seven on strikeouts. He had 14 strikeouts in 16 2/3 innings entering Saturday’s game.

“I just think he feels better about where he is,” said Francona. “Last year it was harder than he made it look. He went out there and was really good, but it wasn’t very easy for him.

“But this year I think he’s just back to competing. He’s not gripping it and ripping it, but he sure is a pitcher.”

Quick strike:

The Guardians gave Bieber a 2-0 lead in the first. Rookie Will Brennan, starting in center field, hit a ground rule to center. He came around to score when Steven Kwan, batting third, singled past the shortstop.

Mike Zunino, after Karl Kauffman balked Kwan to second, scored him with a hustle double to left center.

Nice work:

David Fry, starting at first base, leaned into the crowd along the grandstand to make a nice catch of Alan Trejo’s foul ball in the second inning. Fry, told recently that he will not open the season with the Guardians, will break camp with Class AAA Columbus on Sunday.

Before leaving, Fry made a final impression with a leadoff homer in the ninth for a 4-1 lead. The Guardians have hit seven homers in the last three games.

Need for speed:

Minor leaguer Raynel Delgado reached on a single off reliever Brent Suter with one out in the fifth. Myles Straw, on a hot streak, hit a long double to center as Delgado, showing good wheels, scored from first for a 3-1 lead.

What a waste:

Oscar Gonzalez opened the fourth with a double off Kauffman. But Kauffman retired the next three batters in order to strand Gonzalez.

Bloop in time:

Bieber had two outs with a man on third in the fourth inning. Alan Trejo blooped a single into center field to score Ryan McMahon to cut the Guardians’ lead to 2-1.

It was the last of four hits Bieber allowed in his start.

Old friend:

Former Cleveland closer Brad Hand pitched the seventh for the Rockies. Minor leaguer Milan Tolentino greeted him with a triple to the wall in right center field.

Hand left Tolentino at third as he retired the next three batters. Brennan sent a two-out liner that was headed to center field, but Hand jumped and caught it to end the inning.

Time won’t let me:

Saturday’s game flew by in 2 hours and 8 minutes.

Finally:

RHP Triston McKenzie (1-3, 8.18) will face the the Reds on Sunday at 4:05 p.m at Goodyear Ballpark. The Reds will start LHP Nick Lodolo (4-0, 1.93). Bally Sports Greats Lakes, REAL and the Guardians Radio Network will carry the game.

Emmanuel Clase, Trevor Stephan, Enyel De Los Santos and Tim Herrin are scheduled to follow McKenzie.

Guardians are now 11-14-2 this spring.

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How the Guardians will wrap up Cactus League play:


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McKenzie leaves after 1 inning with a stiff throwing arm.
Status TBD

Season starts tonight. It would be nice to see the slow-starting G's get off to a good April for a change.

The Great Swami Seagull predicts 86 regular season wins.

I;ll accept any start that ends like last regular season

Guardians

Guardians’ Josh Naylor, Andres Gimenez back Aaron Civale’s gem with HRs in 2-0 win over Mariners

By Paul Hoynes

Updated: Apr. 02, 2023, 12:23 a.m.

SEATTLE --

Steven Kwan, the master of contact, said something prophetic after driving in five runs Friday night in a 9-4 win over Seattle.

He said Guardians baseball not only consists of singles and creating havoc on the bases, but also “It’s exciting because we have the capability of hitting home runs as well. When those come we’re going to be really dangerous.”

Consider the Guardians, who beat the Mariners, 2-0, Saturday night on home runs by Josh Naylor and Andres Gimenez, dangerous.

Naylor homered with one out in the fourth and Gimenez went deep with one out in the seventh to back a strong start by Aaron Civale (1-0). The Guardians hit the second fewest homers in the big leagues last year.

They added free agents Josh Bell and Mike Zunino over the winter to increase that power. Manager Terry Francona said the organization hoped that with a year’s experience the youngest lineup in baseball would run into a few more homers as well.

That worked out just fine Saturday night.

Naylor hit a 1-0 pitch from Logan Gilbert 430 feet over the wall in right center field for a 1-0 lead. Gimenez found the right field seats with one out in the seventh against Diego Castillo to make it 2-0.

They were the first homers the Guardians have hit this season.

Civale, in his first start of the season, looked sharp on a cool night in the Pacific Northwest. He threw seven scoreless innings, allowing two hits, with three strikeouts and one walk.

The last 13 batters Civale faced went down in order thanks to a great double play turned by Gimenez in the sixth.

Julio Rodriguez started the game for Seattle with a single and a stolen base. Civale stranded him at second by retiring the next three batters.

Rodriguez reached base again with a two-out single in the fourth that skipped under Amed Rosario’s glove at short. Civale retired Kolten Wong on a grounder to second to end the inning.

Civale, from that point, retired seven straight until J.P. Crawford reached on a Rosario throwing error to start the sixth. That brought Rodriguez to the plate with a chance to do damage. He sent a dangerous-looking grounder over second base, but Gimenez -- who broke his glove trying to tag out Rodriguez in the first inning -- grabbed the ball, stepped on first and threw a rocket to first that barely beat Rodriguez for the double play. [ Nifty Play - That's What Gold Glovers Are Made Of ]

Gilbert was just as sharp as Civale with the exception of Naylor’s homer. He allowed one run on four hits in six innings.

Jose Ramirez singled with two out in the first and stole second. Josh Bell followed with a walk, but Naylor struck out to end the threat.

Myles Straw and Kwan reached on two-out singles in the second and fifth innings, respectively, but Gilbert slammed the door each time.

James Karinchak pitched a scoreless eighth, surviving the slings and arrows of the crowd over over 44,000 as they counted down the pitch clock on him every time he delivered the ball.

In Thursday’s game, Karinchak struggled with the pitch clock. He gave up the game-winning three-run homer to Ty France. The crowd did not forget that.

Emmanuel Clase retired Seattle in order in the ninth for his first save of the season. The game lasted 2 hours, 4 minutes.

Next: RHP Cal Quantrill will face Seattle in his first start of the year on Sunday at 4:10 p.m. ET. The Mariners will start LHP Marco Gonzalez. Bally Sports Great Lakes, WTAM, WMMS and the Guardians radio network will carry the game.

Gonzalez is 2-0 with a 1.93 ERA in three games against Cleveland, including two starts. He’s struck out 10 and walked two in 14 innings.

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Saturday game time: 2:03 even with Karinchak working a 24 pitch 8th inning.

Tito said he wanted to get Curry and Herrin some innings today. Qunatrill was listening. He has struggled through 4 innings, allowing 7 hits, 2 walks a homer, 4 runs.
Zunino with a 3 run homer for all Guardian runs

Assuming Q is done for the day after 4 innings, he escapes a loss [his good luck continues] as G's tie in the 5th on Zunino double, Straw bunt hit, Kwan DP and Rosario single

Guessed wrong, Q came out for the 5th. allowed another double, a wild pitch and an error by Josh Bell, perhaps the worst fielding 1st baseman in the big leagues, and the Mariners go back up 5-4.

Guardians

Guardians beat Mariners, 6-5, in 10 innings, open season with series win

By Paul Hoynes

Updated: Apr. 02, 2023, 7:54 p.m.

SEATTLE --

Mike Zunino enjoyed a big Sunday afternoon against his old team as the Guardians beat Seattle at T-Mobile Field, 6-5, in 10 innings. They opened the season with three wins in this four-game series against a team that went 6-1 against them last year.

The Guardians won it as José Ramírez scored from second base on a throwing error by catcher Cal Raleigh, who was attempting to complete an inning-ending double play with a throw to first base.

Pinch-hitter Josh Naylor, with the bases-loaded, sent a bouncer back to the mound. Gabe Speier threw home to force Steven Kwan, the automatic runner, but Raleigh’s throw skipped past Ty France at first as Ramirez scored what proved to be the game-winning run.

Trevor Stephan, pitching for the third time in the series, earned the save by retiring the Mariners in order in the 10th. Enyel De Los Santos earned the win with a scoreless ninth.

Zunino drove in three runs with two doubles and a homer. Seattle used its first round pick in 2012 to draft Zunino

“I told somebody in the dugout that our style of player is a tough style to play against,” said Zunino. “There are really good arms over there with Seattle. Guys with swing-and-miss stuff. We’re a team that puts the ball in play, runs the bases well and plays good defense.

“When we get deep into these ballgames, especially with the extra-inning scenarios, you feel pretty good with the guys coming into the play.”

Cal Quantrill’s first pitch of the afternoon landed in the right field seats courtesy of Julio Rodriguez to give Seattle a 1-0 lead. It was a sign that it was not going to be an easy afternoon for Cleveland’s 15-game winner in 2022.

The Mariners had two more hits that inning, but Quantrill didn’t allow another run.

When Zunino hit a three-run homer in the second to give Cleveland a 3-1 lead, it appeared that Quantrill’s good fortune from last year was still intact. He received 6.33 runs of support per nine innings in 2022. It was the highest run total of any qualified pitcher in the big leagues.

“I thought Cal struggled with his fastball command,” said manager Terry Francona. “He was yanking pitches, leaving a couple up. He competed, but it was hard just because he didn’t command very well.”

Seattle took a 4-3 lead in the third with three runs on four hits. It was not a crisply played or pitched inning.

Rodriguez started the inning with a fly ball to shallow right field that should have been caught, but Oscar Gonzalez came up empty. Rodriguez tried to steal second, but was erased on Quantrill’s throw to second.

France, after a Kolten Wong walk, singled him to second. They both advanced on a wild pitch and Eugenio Suárez lined a single through the middle to score Wong to make it 3-2. Second baseman Andrés Giménez had a bead on the ball, but it got past him.

Raleigh followed with a drive to the track in center field. It’s a ball Guardians fans have seen Myles Straw catch many times, but he got turned around late and it fell for a double as two runs scored for a 4-3 Seattle lead.

Zunino put the Guardians back in the game with a leadoff double off Marco Gonzales in the fifth. Straw pushed him to third with a bunt single, and he scored on Steven Kwan’s double-play grounder to make it 4-4.

Seattle took a 5-4 lead in the fifth on some more shaky Cleveland defense.

Suarez doubled with one out and moved to third on Quantrill’s second wild pitch of the game. Raleigh sent a bouncer to first that got past Josh Bell for an error as Suarez scored to take the lead.

Zunino came through again for Cleveland with a bloop double to start the seventh. Rookie Will Brennan pinch ran and advanced to third on Straw’s liner to right. Kwan tied the game at 5-5 with a sharp single into right field past a drawn-in infield.

Carlos Santana was the last Cleveland catcher to have three extra-base hits in a game. He did it against Tampa Bay on April 7, 2013.

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Have Mariners fans always been so obnoxious? I'm tempted to say "Wow, you can count! And backwards!" but I guess all they have to do is look at the clock.

3-out-of-4, in your face.