Cleveland Sports Forum

Arias has been less than good on defense and according to Andre Knott and Tom Hamilton he is not a hard worker.

To me Arias does not seem to have good baseball sense.

I am amenable to his departure.
Even with Owen Miller flopping, and Arias apparently doing the same; and Cantillo's progress going slowly; I remain extremely happy with the trove we get for Clevinger including Hedges, Josh Naylor and Quantrill. Q gave us more value over 3 seasons than Clevinger has to the various teams he has pitched for over that time period.

I tried to total up the WAR for the guys we got in return for Clevinger and if I picked the right column for the appropriate measure it looks like we win 9-9 to 4.6.
Not sure these include defense which means Hedges is counted too low, and Miller too high. Here's what I find for the guys we got during their CLE days

Miller -0.8
Arias -0.2
Hedges -0.5
Quantrill 5.6
Naylor 5.8
Clevinger 4.6

Guardians make six-run second inning stand in 7-4 win over Texas Rangers

Updated: May. 14, 2024, 11:19 p.m.|Published: May. 14, 2024, 11:05 p.m.

By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com
ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Guardians scored early and hung on late Tuesday night at Globe Life Field.

It started with a six-run second inning with five of the runs being supplied by the Naylor brothers. Then the offense fell silent as Ben Lively bobbed and weaved through five innings, dodging three home runs along the way.

Cleveland’s hard-working bullpen finally brought the 7-4 win home with four innings of relief. The Guardians have won three straight on this seven-game trip, while the Rangers have lost a season-high five straight games.

Texas recalled Mark Leiter from Class AAA Round Rock before the game to start against the Guardians.

“He’s got a big arm with a good fastball and cutter,” said manager Stephen Vogt of the Rangers’ No. 1 pick in 2021. “Our job is to keep him in the strike zone. If we expand with him, we won’t do well. But if we can home in on our damage zones and stick to them, I like our chances.”

n the first inning, the Guardians made Leiter throw 34 pitches. They didn’t score, but they set him up for a second-inning haymaker.

Josh Naylor hit a three-run homer as the Guardians sent 10 men to the plate for the second straight night on the way to a 6-0 lead.

The inning started when Leiter (0-1, 16.39) hit Kyle Manzardo and walked Estevan Florial. Bo Naylor, in a 5 for 47 skid, doubled to the wall in right center to score Manzardo and Florial for a 2-0 lead.

Leiter struck out Brayan Rocchio, but Tyler Freeman walked and Andres Gimenez, who helped tire Leiter with an 11-pitch at-bat in the first inning, singled to score Bo Naylor and make it 3-0.

After Jose Ramirez went down on a fly ball to right, Freeman and Gimenez worked a double steal, but the fleet feet were just window dressing. Josh Naylor, the next batter, drove a ball into the right field seats for his 12th homer of the season.

After that the Guardians simply hung on. They were not only dodging the Rangers’ offense, but their own shortstop -- Rocchio.

The rookie shortstop was all over the field and not in a good way. In the second inning, he undercut Gimenez on a grounder to second. Gimenez still got the out, but he had to withstand Rocchio’s sliding into his legs.

In the fifth, Rocchio ranged far into center field and collided with Tyler Freeman in pursuit of a fly ball by Adolis Garcia. Freeman made the catch, but both players were knocked to the ground by the force of the collision. They eventually regained their feet and stayed in the game.

Garcia homered to start the second to make it 6-1. It broke an 18-inning scoreless streak by the Rangers.

Corey Seager made it 6-2 with a one-out homer in the third and Nathaniel Lowe completed the trilogy with a one-out homer in the fifth to make it 6-3.

Lively, in a five and fly, allowed three runs on five hits in five innings. He struck out five and walked three. Cade Smith followed with two scoreless innings of relief with three strikeouts.

The Rangers closed to within two runs at 6-4 in the eighth on Josh Smith’s RBI single following Garcia’s double past third against Scott Barlow. But Barlow remained unfazed. After a sacrifice bunt moved Smith to second and Travis Jankowski walked, he struck out Ezequiel Tavares to end the inning.

Emmanuel Clase pitched the ninth for his 13th save in 15 chances. Gimenez’s sacrifice fly in the ninth provided the Guards a much needed cushion.

Next:

RHP Carlos Carrasco (2-3, 5.56) vs. RHP Jon Gray (1-1, 2.36) Wednesday at 8:05 p.m. Bally Sports Great Lakes, WTAM, WMMS and the Guardians radio network will carry the game.


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NAYLOR 3-RUN HOMER

https://www.mlb.com/video/josh-naylor-h ... st-popular


BO 2-RUN DOUBLE

https://www.mlb.com/video/bo-naylor-dou ... st-popular


FREEMAN DIVING CATCH

https://www.mlb.com/video/travis-jankow ... st-popular


CLASE SAVE 12

https://www.mlb.com/video/emmanuel-clas ... st-popular


CONDENSED GAME

https://www.mlb.com/video/condensed-gam ... 0Games&p=0


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a 5 rbi Naylor inning does it for the Gs.
I guess they can beat most anyone but the WhiteSox. or Yankees and Astros.
Holding on to an edge in surprisingly tough division

Another underwhelming lineup. Cookie looks to be on his game...Agaiin! Hope he gets a little run support. I hate to lose games when we get quality starts from our pithers.

Doesn't look like a line up that's going to score much against Gray. He's good.

Nothing like putting pressure on Cookie. Can we score a run or two?

Ding, Ding, Diing. Helloooo! Wake up Call! Help wanted!

Six sub-.200 position players and another hitting .208 will not win championships. Not even divisions.

They seem to be in first place in the AL Central
And they are 3rd in the AL in runs scored
they're even 7th in the AL in home runs
5th in fewest strikeouts
3rdin stolen bases
6th in doubles
8th in OPS
1st in hit by pitch
1st in sac flies
3rd lowest in left on base

Fans of most every other team have more to complain about their offenses than do we.

Big Win !!!!

Hard to argue with your numbers, Civ.
I still stand by my comments.
The Guardians have been extremely fortunate that the pitching has been extaordiinary.
If it weren't for the pitching, we'd be battling the Sox for4th place.
Six sub-200 and another at 207 will not win championships or divisions.
I agree with the writer in Articles, promote Tena, Schneemann, and Rodriguez.
Can they possibly be any worse.
We're stuck with Naylor and Rocchio.
Just have to hope they snap out of their funk.

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Browns 2024 draft picks throw first pitches





Smoked sausage: José Ramírez, David Fry homer as Guardians rally for 3-2 win against Twins

Updated: May. 17, 2024, 10:55 p.m.|Published: May. 17, 2024, 9:44 p.m.

By Joe Noga, cleveland.com
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Forget about Minnesota’s vacuum-sealed rally sausage. The Guardians prefer theirs smoked and deep Fry’d.

David Fry put Cleveland in front with a two-run blast Friday, and after the Twins tied things up in the eighth, José Ramírez smoked a solo shot off Minnesota closer Jhoan Durán for a 3-2 win at Progressive Field.

It was Ramírez’s 10th home run of the season and 226th of his career, tying him with Earl Averill for fourth on Cleveland’s all-time franchise list. It was also Ramírez’s 39th go-ahead RBI since the start of 2022, the most in the American League and extended his club record with 87 career go-ahead home runs.

The home run gave the Guardians a 3-0 start to their season series against Minnesota and kept them in first place in the American League Central Division with a 1 1/2 game lead over the Royals and 3 1/2 games over the Twins.

Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said he is running out of ways to describe what Ramírez’s contributions mean to the team.

“He’s up there against one of the best closers in the game and has a great at-bat and gets a curve ball up in the zone and just puts us on his shoulders,” Vogt said. “He and Josh (Naylor) have been so big for us in these moments, and I keep saying I can’t be shocked at this point. But it’s still just so fun to watch.”

Ramírez’s blast came after Andrés Giménez was ruled out on a stolen base attempt following a challenge by Twins manager Rocco Baldelli. Fry said at that point he turned to bench coach Craig Albernaz and knew what was coming.

“I said, ‘I really like Minnesota, exhaling like, okay, nobody’s on base now ... into a Josey homer,’ and then two pitches later he did,” Fry said. “Whenever he’s up, we kind of expect it at this point.”

Triston McKenzie tossed 6 2/3 brilliant innings, allowing only a solo home run to open the third, but did not factor in the decision. Tim Herrin (2-0), who surrendered the tying run in the eighth, picked up his second win, and Emmanuel Clase tossed a scoreless ninth for his league-leading 13th save.

Fry launched a two-run home run off Twins lefty Steven Okert in the sixth inning to erase a one-run deficit and give Cleveland a 2-1 lead. But pinch hitter Kyle Farmer’s two-out RBI single off Herrin in the eighth evened the score at 2.

Cleveland pulled ahead in the sixth after a strange sequence that saw them successfully challenge a play based on Major League Baseball’s relatively new shift rule.

Andrés Giménez opened the frame with an infield single against Twins starter Simeon Woods Richardson. Ramírez followed by grounding into a fielders choice with Minnesota shortstop Carlos Correa throwing to first, and Giménez advancing to second.

But Vogt challenged that Correa had violated the shift rule on the play, meaning he was on the wrong side of the second base bag when the ball was pitched. Vogt’s challenge was successful, sending Gimenez back to first and Ramírez back to the box with a 2-2 count.

It was the first shift violation in the majors this season after the rule was adopted last year. In 2023, only four violations were called during the entire season, none involving Minnesota or Cleveland.

Ramírez ultimately struck out on a slider in the dirt from Woods Richardson, but Giménez stole second on the play and advanced to third on a throwing error by Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers.

Minnesota brought in lefty Steven Okert to face Josh Naylor, and with the Minnesota infield playing in, Naylor sent a smash to Edouard Julien who threw home to retire a sliding Giménez.

But after working ahead in the count with two sliders to Fry, Okert left a pitch low and over the middle of the plate that Fry drilled to the home run porch in left for his fourth of the season.

Fry finished with three hits on the night after entering the contest batting .344 in his last 12 games and .379 against lefties on the season.

Vogt said Fry has had great at-bats against righties and lefties all year and has done a great job in a limited role.

“When he gets the opportunities he’s coming through, and so many times it’s refreshing to see that with a player who’s playing time is limited,” Vogt said. “He’s earning himself more, and I couldn’t be more proud of the way he’s been playing.

Cleveland struggled to get any offense going against Woods Richardson early, despite hitting the ball hard on several occasions. Fry lined a ball back to the mound that nearly took Woods Richardson’s glove off for an infield single in the second. In the fifth, Tyler Freeman hit Woods Richardson’s glove in nearly the same spot, but this time the pitcher recovered and threw Freeman out at first.

The Guardians stranded a pair of runners in the fourth. After Josh Naylor was hit by a pitch, Fry singled and Naylor moved to third on a fly ball to deep center. But Ramón Laureano lined out to center on the second pitch he saw to end the inning.

Alex Kirilloff’s leadoff home run against McKenzie in the third snapped a 28-inning scoreless streak for the Twins. Prior to Kirilloff’s blast, the last Twins home run came off the bat of Ryan Jeffers in the first inning Tuesday against the Yankees.

McKenzie kept the Twins off the scoreboard in the first two innings thanks to some nice defense. Freeman made a sensational diving catch of a line drive by Julien in left center to open the game, and Ramírez started a pair of double plays with some nifty glove work at third.

McKenzie faced one batter over the minimum through five innings after Bo Naylor caught Kirilloff straying too far off the bag on a ball in the dirt. Naylor fired down to his brother, Josh, who tagged Kirilloff before he could get his hand back to the bag, ending the fifth.

Vogt said McKenzie relied on his defense after not starting the game as sharp as he would like, but made pitches when he needed to and locked things in for the last few frames.

“Triston getting us just about to the eighth inning was an outstanding job by him today,” Vogt said. “He just continues to get better and better each time out.”

Next:

The series continues Saturday with a 6:05 p.m. first pitch from Progressive Field. Left-hander Logan Allen (4-2, 5.56) will start for Cleveland while the Twins send righty Bailey Ober (4-1, 3.77) to the mound. Bally Sports Great Lakes, WTAM 1100 AM, WMMS 100.7 FM, WARF 1350 (Spanish) and the Guardians Radio Network will carry the game.


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Guardians injury updates on Steven Kwan, Gavin Williams and James Karinchak

Updated: May. 17, 2024, 7:09 p.m.|Published: May. 17, 2024, 5:28 p.m.

By Joe Noga, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Guardians Gold Glove left fielder Steven Kwan took a step toward returning to the field Friday when he participated in batting practice for the first time since injuring his left hamstring in a game May 4.

Kwan, on the 10-day injured list after an MRI revealed an acute strain, was projected to return after four weeks. Manager Stephen Vogt did not indicate that Friday’s batting practice round would necessarily alter that projection.

“He’s progressing well,” Vogt said. “We still don’t have a timetable, but the fact that he’s already back to baseball activity is a good sign.”

Kwan feels good and has been running relatively pain-free, Vogt said.

“He’s on a good track,” Vogt said. “They’ve got a progression that’s mapped out. Obviously that’ll get him ready to go play and then we’ll know more from there.”

Williams throwing bullpens

Right-hander Gavin Williams threw a bullpen session Friday at Progressive Field after throwing a 50-pitch session on Tuesday in Texas.

“He’s building up, progressing really well and feeling good,” Vogt said.

Williams suffered an elbow strain in mid-March and aggravated the injury in April, requiring an anti-inflammatory injection.

Karinchak back to Arizona

Reliever James Karinchak, recovering from a shoulder strain that has sidelined him since early in spring training, is back in Arizona to continue his throwing program.

Karinchak visited Cleveland during the Guardians’ last homestand to be observed by trainers and staff as he began to ramp up. Vogt said the right-hander threw a few bullpens before heading back to continue building up at the club’s training complex in Goodyear.

“He’s feeling strong, looking good,” Vogt said.


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For nearly two weeks, the Cleveland Guardians have been without one of their cornerstone players, both defensively and offensively.

Back on May 6, the team announced that left fielder Steven Kwan was placed on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to May 5) with a left hamstring strain.

But on Friday night, Cleveland saw the two-time reigning American League Gold Glove Award winner make an important stride in his road to recovery.

Kwan was spotted taking pregame batting practice at Progressive Field before the Guardians’ game against the Minnesota Twins. This was his first time taking pregame batting practice since he was placed on the injured list.

The 26-year-old is off to an impressive start at the plate so far this year. Through his first 32 games, he ranks qualified MLB hitters in batting average (.353, third) and on-base percentage (.407, sixth).

Kwan has also recorded team-bests of 47 hits and 28 runs, while tallying six doubles, two triples, three home runs, 11 RBI, 11 walks, three stolen bases, and a .903 OPS. He has also struck out just 11 times.

Last month, Kwan also became the first Cleveland player with six-or-more games of three-or-more hits in the first 21 team games of a season since Hall-of-Famer Lou Boudreau in 1948.

Cleveland has gone 6-5 in his absence, taking the last of a three-game set against the Los Angeles Angels, two of three games against the Detroit Tigers, and going a combined 3-4 in a seven-game road trip against the Chicago White Sox and Texas Rangers.

With this latest development in his recovery process, the Guardians are now one step closer to getting their mainstay leadoff hitter and left fielder back in the lineup.


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Guardians players on new City Connect uniforms: ‘They’re dope’

The Guardians debuted their new Nike City Connect uniforms on Friday with players taking the field for the first time in the new blue jerseys and sandstone off-white pants.

Josh Naylor, who immediately began lobbying to wear the new uniforms for every home game once he saw them in spring training, pointed out elements of the new threads that he liked in particular.

“I think the striping, the piping on the side, and the pants are dope,” Naylor said. “The socks came out really nice.”

Naylor, who wears his socks high to represent his father who always wore them that way when he played, said he would put Cleveland’s version of the City Connect up against any in baseball.

“I think they’re one of the better ones in the league,” Naylor said. “I would like to wear ‘em every home game. I don’t know if that’s allowed or not, but I think it’s really cool. They’re up there with the best of the best. They did an incredible job with ‘em.”

Manager Stephen Vogt gave the uniforms his seal of approval with a brief assessment at the end of his pregame media session.

“The new uniforms are sick,” Vogt said as he walked off the podium.

The new uniforms will be worn during every Friday home game for the remainder of the season and on other home dates that the players decide, as long as Major League Baseball does not already have special uniform regulations on days such as Armed Forces Day (Saturday) or July 4th.

Naylor said he is excited to see how the jerseys and gear help Guardians fans and the city rally together.

“I think everyone’s going to enjoy them,” Naylor said.


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RAMIREZ GO AHEAD HOMER (10)

https://www.mlb.com/video/jose-ramirez- ... st-popular


TYLER FREEMAN AMAZING DIVING CATCH

https://www.mlb.com/video/edouard-julie ... st-popular


CONDENSED GAME

https://www.mlb.com/video/condensed-gam ... nsed-games

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