Cleveland Sports Forum

In all fairness to Bieber, according to Hamilton, the umpire had a very tight strike zone for both teams. Bieber was consistently within the strike zone. He could very easily have had three strike outs and no wallks. Both Bieber and Lugo were not very pleased with this umpire. Hamilton summarized the high scoring game being the result of the narrow strike zone.

Shane Bieber's Velocity Returns In First Spring Training Start For Guardians

Shane Bieber's fastball velocity was hitting 94 mph in Cleveland Guardians' 2024 spring training debut.

TOMMY WILD

Feb 2, 2024 3 HOURS AGO

The Cleveland Guardians have a pretty scary starting rotation as it is. It may just have gotten even more dangerous for opponents based on the performance Shane Bieber put on against the Kansas City Royals on Saturday afternoon.

This was Bieber's first start of the spring and it certainly caught everyone's attention. He pitched 1.2 innings, issued three walks, recorded no strikeouts, and gave up two hits.

However, it's not the box score that we're looking at here. It's the radar gun that was lighting up with each one of Bieber's pitches.

There wasn't a video broadcast for the game, but those in attendance and the radio team noted Bieber's increase in velocity. He was consistently clocking in at 94 mph which is pretty impressive considering where that number has been and it being just the first start of the spring.

@ZackMeisel
Shane Bieber (who will hate this tweet) is hitting 94 mph in the first inning today. His average fastball velocity the last two years: 91.3 mph.

The 28-year-old has been criticized for his injury history and the decline in how hard he throws. His fastball velocity from 2022-23 has only sat at 91.3 which is going to jeopardize the efficiency of all his offspeed pitches.

This shouldn't come as a huge surprise to fans who have been paying close attention to Bieber's offseason workouts. He spent time with Driveline Baseball (a well-known data-driven player development program) and their results showed an uptick in the speed of his fastball.

Driveline calculated his fastball average to be 93.2 mph during his time with them and that has so far translated to in-game action.

The fastball velocity return could bring Bieber back to the pitcher he was when he won the 2020 Cy Young. Let's just hope it's sustainable throughout the regular season.

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Velo bump sparks Bieber's 'encouraging' debut

Guardians ace sees results after winter work with Driveline

Feb 2, 2024 34 minutes ago

By Mandy Bell

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Shane Bieber dug into the dirt around the rubber on the pitcher’s mound early in Saturday's contest against the Royals at Goodyear Ballpark and stared in toward his catcher. He delivered the first pitch of his Cactus League campaign and two little white numbers flashed on the bottom right corner of the scoreboard: “92 mph.”

His next pitch clocked in at 90 mph. This is the range his heater has floated around the last few years, so it was nothing alarming. But the next four pitches told a different story, as the radar gun displayed “94” after each offering.

These were consistent with the results Bieber saw at Driveline this offseason. In his final session at their facility before Spring Training got underway, he threw 10 fastballs that clocked in higher than 93 mph. Comparatively, he threw just eight at that velocity in all of 2023 (granted, his season was shortened due to right elbow inflammation in the second half).

Bieber had been working on the back fields at Cleveland’s training facility. It’s normal for the regular starters to take a little more time to get into Cactus League play, but the Guardians did want to keep a closer eye on Bieber and Triston McKenzie given the fact that each missed chunks of last season due to injury. After being sidelined coming out of the All-Star break, Bieber was only able to make two starts before the end of the season.

“It’s been a while. That’s how it felt,” Bieber said. “Body felt good. Everything was coming out good. I thought the results were probably not indicative of the box score.”

The goal was to have Bieber work two innings, though because of some walks jacking up his pitch count, he was pulled after 1 2/3 frames. Aside from the three free passes, he allowed two runs on one hit with no strikeouts.

“Being a little bit more aggressive in the zone and struggling to find it a little bit obviously with three walks, one two-out walk at the end there,” Bieber said. “They’re not ideal, but ultimately I think [there were] a lot of positives to be able to take from. No hard contact, not really any good swings, so just do a better job of getting ahead and putting guys away early.”

Spring Training outings aren’t just about results. Pitchers are trying to balance remaining competitive and getting outs with working on their mechanics, pitch sequencing or a plethora of other things. For example, on Saturday Bieber got two outs on changeups to righties after throwing zero changeups to righties in 2023. He gave up a single on a curveball to Sandy León when he said he would’ve been more aggressive with his pitch selection in a regular-season game.

Sure, results always matter to professional players, but Spring Training is about more than just a pitching line.

“It was great to see Shane get out there,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. “It’s great to see his [velocity where it is]. Obviously he put a lot of hard work into that and changed some things up with his routine. Great to see some results as far as the velocity goes. So, all in all, great day for Shane.”

Fastball velocity and vertical movement on the curveball: those were two of the biggest focuses Bieber had when he chose to go to Driveline to make some changes this winter, hoping that his stuff would return to the form he had when he secured the Cy Young Award in 2020. Then, his heater averaged 94.1 mph. In an injury-riddled ‘21, he averaged 92.8. In ‘22 and ‘23, it sat at 91.3 mph.

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A problem area for the Guardians rarely discussed

Updated: Mar. 03, 2024, 4:56 a.m.|Published: Mar. 03, 2024, 4:55 a.m.

By Terry Pluto, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Guardians need to hit more home runs. They need to score more runs. Other than Steven Kwan, they don’t have a legitimate MLB every day starting outfielder.

That’s the negative narrative hanging over the team, and there is some truth to it.

But I have another concern, and it could be a big one … the bullpen.

Last season, the Guardians played 58 games decided by one run, the most in the American League

Their record: 27-31, part of the reason the Guardians had a disappointing 76-86 season.

In 2022, the Guardians were 28-17 in one run games, a driving force behind their 92-70 season.

There are several reasons why a team wins or loses one-run games.

“We’re probably going to play a lot of one-run games again this year,” said Manager Stephen Vogt. “It’s just the way it is in Cleveland. … How do we end up on the right side of those games? It comes down to the little things. It’s baserunning. It’s controlling the running game. It’s PFPs (pitchers fielding practice).

“It’s the little parts of the game. When those things go wrong, you lose those one-run games. When you don’t take the extra base. When you don’t get the best jump when you’re stealing and you’re thrown out by a smidge, that’s how you lose those games.”

I’ll add this: It’s also the bullpen:

1. When the Guardians won the 2022 Central Division title, they had 51 saves and 18 blown saves.

2. Last year, they saved 47 games and had 34 blown saves.

3. The bullpen had a 3.96 ERA last season compared to 3.46 in 2022.

THE CLASE FACTOR

The analytics website FanGraphs did a complicated story about why Emmanuel Clase’s ERA rose from a combined 1.33 in 2021-22 to 3.22 in 2023. There were also discussions about his spin rate on his slider being down, his release point changing and even some bad luck tossed in.

Some of that can be corrected.

His velocity didn’t drop. It was 99 mph on his fastball, 91 mph on his slider. But hitters didn’t “chase” as many pitches out of the strike zone.

I’m going to take a simpler approach:

1. In the last three seasons, Clase has pitched in more games (223) than anyone else in the majors.

2. In the last three seasons, only three relievers have pitched more innings than Clase.

3. In the last three years, he’s saved more games and been in more save situations than anyone else in the majors. In 2023, he led the majors in saves (44) and blown saves (12).

My point? The right-hander has been asked to carry an enormous load over the last three seasons. Baseball people call it “high leverage” innings, which means pitching with the game on the line.




Guardians relievers Scott Barlow and Nick Sandlin need to produce in 2024. AP

WHY SCOTT BARLOW MATTERS

It’s not time to trade the 25-year-old Clase, as has been suggested. He has a very team-friendly contract over the next three seasons ($14 million total).

It is time to ease the load, and there’s reason to wonder if the Guardians can do that.

The Guardians did trade Enyel De Los Santos to San Diego for Scott Barlow, a 31-year-old with a career 3.36 ERA and 56 total saves. In 2023, Barlow was 2-6 with 13 saves and a 4.37 ERA.

Let’s go best-case scenario: Barlow has a repeat of his 2022 season when he was 7-4 with a 2.18 ERA and 24 saves for the Royals. That would help Clase as Barlow can be used in some save situations.




The Guardians will look at Carlos Carrasco as a reliever if he's not needed in the rotation. AP

WHO ELSE CAN HELP?

Trevor Stephan is out for at least several weeks with an elbow problem. He also had a rocky 2023 season. James Karinchak has had a bit of a shoulder situation, although it’s not supposed to be major. But like Stephan, he also had a 2023 season to forget.

There are other relievers such as Eli Morgan, Nick Sandlin and Sam Hentges who can bring depth to the bullpen. I really like Xzavion Curry, who also can be a starter. Carlos Carrasco could earn a spot in the bullpen.

Two names to watch:

Franco Aleman and Cade Smith. Both are right-handers in the 6-foot-5, 230-pound range. Both throw in the high 90′s.

Aleman opened last season at Class A Lake County, where he had a 5.52 ERA. He was moved up to Class AA Akron and suddenly … he was nearly unhittable. Aleman didn’t allow an earned run in 24 innings, striking out 38.

Smith split 2023 between Class AA and Class AAA, compiling a 4.02 ERA. He fanned 95 in 63 innings. The Guardians are looking for power arms, and both of these guys fit that description.

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Stephen Vogt no stranger to the lineup card: Guardians spring training breakfast

Updated: Mar. 03, 2024, 10:48 a.m.|Published: Mar. 03, 2024, 10:36 a.m.

By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- One of best jobs about being a big-league manager is making out the starting lineup card every day.

This is manager Stephen Vogt’s first go-around at the experience, but he’s had previous practice.

“One time in middle school baseball, my buddy’s mom was our coach,” Vogt told reporters in Goodyear, Arizona. “And we were going into the tournament at the end of the year and she asked me to make the lineup because I was an eighth grader. So I made the lineups.”

There was one distinctive feature of those lineups.

“I always led off,” said Vogt, with a laugh. “In middle school baseball you always try to stack the three or four best hitters at the top of the lineup and go from there.”

Vogt, tongue-in-cheek, said he’s drawn on that experience since the start of the Cactus League season.

“I can’t leadoff, unfortunately,” said Vogt. “We have a better guy to do that.”

Vogt said the Guardians’ analytical department has given him “tools” to help build a lineup.

“I can use those to mix and match, but I wasn’t far off,” he said. “That made me excited. I looked at some of the lineups I made and then I looked at the numbers. There’s a lot that goes into it, but my main thing is beating the (opposing) starter.”

Saturday’s game

The Guardians hit five home runs, but lost to Kansas City, 13-12. The Royals scored four times in the ninth to overcome the Guards’ 12-9 lead.

Tyler Freeman, Angel Martinez, Dom Nunez, Daniel Schneemann and Lorenzo Cedrola homered for Cleveland. The Royals hhad one homer among their 16 hits. It proved to be the game winner, a two-run, two-out drive by Nate Eaton in the ninth.

Martinez drove in three runs with two hits and a sacrifice fly. He’s hitting .636 (7 for 11) with two homers and seven RBI.

If he wasn’t in the shortstop conversation at the start of camp, well, he’s probably putting some heat on Gabriel Arias and Brayan Rocchio right now.

Another hitter who showed some life was Jhonkensy Noel. After starting the spring 0 for 8, he doubled twice on Saturday. Kyle Manzardo doubled as well.

Ben Lively, competing for the swing-man spot on the staff, went 2 2/3 innings. He allowed three runs on three hits. Starter Shane Bieber pitched only 1 2/3 innings.

The Guardians are 2-6 this spring and have lost five straight in the desert.

Trivia time: Did Angel Marinez’s dad, Sandy, ever play for the Indians? Answer below.

Sunday’s games

The Guardians play split-squad games on Sunday against the Cubs and Giants.

Logan Allen will face Kyle Kendricks of Cubs in Mesa at 3:05 p.m.

Hunter Gaddis, Scott Barlow, Sam Hentges and Anthony Banda are scheduled to follow Allen.

Tanner Bibee will face Jordan Hicks and the Giants at Goodyear Ballpark at 3:05 p.m. WTAM will carry that game.

Xzavion Curry, Tim Herrin, Anthony Gose, Adam Oller and Tanner Burns are scheduled to follow Bibee.

Allen and Bibee will be making their spring debuts.

Game 1 lineup vs. Giants:

LF Steven Kwan, 2B Andres Gimenez, 3B Jose Ramirez, 1B Josh Naylor, RF Ramon Laureano, SS Gabriel Arias, CF Estevan Florial, C David Fry, DH Jose Tena, RHP Bibee.

Game 2 lineup vs. Cubs:

SS Brayan Rocchio, CF Tyler Freeman, RF Will Brennan, 1B Deyvision De Los Santos, C Austin Hedges, DH Jhonkensy Noel, 2B Angel Martinez, LF Jonathan Rodriguez, 3B Juan Brito and LHP Allen.

Trivia answer: Sandy Martinez played for six big league teams. In 2004 he caught exactly one game for the Indians.

What’s next

Here are Cleveland’s next five games following Monday’s off-day.

Seattle @Goodyear Ballpark on Tuesday at 3:05 p.m. ET. Bally Sports Great Lakes will carry the game.

@Milwaukee on Wednesday at Maryvale Stadium in Phoenix at 3:05 p.m. Bally Sports Great Lakes or WTAM will not carry the game.

@Oakland on Thursday at HoHoKam Stadium in Mesa at 3:05 p.m. Bally Sports Great Lakes or WTAM will not carry the game.

White Sox @Goodyear Ballpark on Friday at 3:05 p.m. WTAM will carry the game.

Angels @Goodyear Ballpark on Saturday at 3:05 p.m. ET. Bally Sports Great Lakes and WTAM will carry the game.

Cleveland Guardians Spring Training Prospect Report 3/2/24

JUSTIN LADA

MAR 3

Game 8 - Kansas City Royals 13, Cleveland Guardians 12

Starters

Brayan Rocchio (SS): 0-2, BB -

We haven’t seen a really big eye opening day yet from Rocchio this spring. Seth Lugo struggled early in this one and the strike zone was tighter than bumper-to-bumper traffic on 480 at some points early in the game, but Rocchio did work a walk and led off to get three plate appearances. Gabriel Arias played deep into Friday’s game, so both guys are getting a chance to get reps. Neither are moving around like years past either. In eight games, they each have three games at short only.

Jhonkeny Noel (LF): 2-3, 2 2B -

The good:
Noel ripped two well hit balls off of major league arms in Seth Lugo and Dan Altavilla.
The bad:
He still struggled, getting way out in front of spin at times and also didn’t show much range in left field. At least not one of the defenders you would put out there regularly.

Kyle Manzardo (1B): 1-2, 2B, BB -

Manzardo worked a walk while Lugo struggled with command and the whims of the home plate umpire. (Shane Bieber was getting "squeezed" yesterday) He did have two well hit balls however. One was a liner to right that hung up and the other was a ball to center, that was struck well, but the centerfielder lost it in the sun and Manzardo ended up on second. Also of note, he made a nice jumping play at first on a ball that jumped high on him as a chopper with a runner on first. He had enough time to tag the bag and make a decent throw that came close to getting the lead runner. So defensively, things look good for Manzardo.

Johnathan Rodriguez (RF): 1-3, K -

Rodriguez did square up a fastball to right field for a hit in his final at bat of the game. He did come very close to a homer on breaking ball in the at bat he struck out in, but otherwise was he was way out in front on breaking pitches, including the near homer. Just a little less so. He took a 3-2 fastball for strike three in that at bat. Rodriguez also probably missed at least one ball in right field that someone like a Will Brennan or Ramon Laureano gets, but fell in front of Rodriguez. Like Noel, the ground coverage can be limited.

Angel Martinez (2B): 2-3, HR, 2B, 3 RBI -

Martinez has been impressive so far this weekend. After a hard hit pulled double Friday, he took Lugo deep to right field and late smoked a single to left center. From the left side, Martinez has been impressive.

Daniel Schneemann (3B): 1-3, HR, 3 RBI -

Schneemann doesn’t get a lot of love, even here where we cover the entire system. He made every play with enough arm at third today, including a tough one going to his right and then throwing across to first. He then lofted a big homer to right 108 off the bat. He’s apparently done some offseason weight training. Is Schneemann a prospect the way Rocchio and Martinez are on the infield? Perhaps not, but Schneeman is a guy who does everything. He handles every position for the most part (short of catcher) and makes the routine play look routine at second and third. He’s a grinder that orgs love to have and he’ll get a cup of coffee somewhere else perhaps this year or next and he’ll deserve it.

Reserves Who Reached Base

Kahlil Watson (CF): 0-0, BB -

Watson had one plate appearance and it was at a point in the game where younger players were in, but it was against Will Klein, who pitched a few games in KC in 2023. More important, Watson was in at center field. Earlier in the day Saturday, I saw Watson taking fly balls with other outfielders on the backfield and thought it was notable but didn’t expect to see him in the outfield in the game so soon. But there he was. For what it’s worth, he was still taking grounders with infielders at one point too, so it seems they want to keep both options open for him. But when the Guardians got him last summer, the idea of moving Watson, who is a premium athlete, to centerfield, seemed like something intruiging that could happen. Something to definitely monitor going forward.

Christian Cairo (3B): 1-2, -

Cairo did reach base thanks to a bad fielding play at the end of the game. He also dropped a pop up in foul territory that was probably difficult due to some sun and wind, but a tough one not to make.

OTHER RESERVES

Micah Pries (RF): 0-0 -

Pries took a nasty crash into the right field corner on a fly ball and went down hard. Luckily, he was able to walk back to the dugout under his own power. He did get a cart ride out of the ballpark a little later. Pries has really had some unfortunate injury luck. He missed his first season of pro ball recovering from Tommy John, before the lost COVID season. In ‘21 he missed time with a hamstring issue. In ‘23 he missed a little over a month with a knee strain also trying to catch a fly ball. He needs a healthy season, hopefully he’s OK.

Connor Kokx (CF-RF): 0-1 -

It was a bit of a tough defensive day for the normally strong fielder, Kokx.

Joe Naranjo (1B): 0-1, BB

Jose Tena (SS): 0-3, K

Rey Delgado (2B): 0-2

Michael Berglund (C: 0-2 -

It was a bit of a tough day for the glove first Berglund as well.

Eric Rodriguez (PR)

RELIEVERS

Bradley Hanner (RP): 0.1IP, 3H, 2 ER, BB -

I didn’t see much of Hanner in ‘23 but was told he was interesting. And he throws 93-94 from a weight right high side arm slingshot like angle, but he couldn’t throw a strike and when he did, they got drilled.

Tyler Thornton (RP): 0.1IP -

Got his job done, throwing 90-93.

Juan Zapata (RP): 0.2IP, 4H, 4ER -

A second very rough outing in a row for Zapata. It was not a complete shock to see it go this way.

Trenton Denholm (RP): 0.1IP, H -

Denholm gave up a hit but pitched around it, sitting 90-93 with his fastball.

DRESSED BUT DID NOT PLAY

RHP Franco Aleman:

Back to back days on the docket to pitch but no appearance. Not sure I even saw him in the bullpen.

INF Milan Tolentino

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Kansas City Royals vs. Cleveland Guardians 2024 Spring Training Game Highlights | 6 Homer Game

https://youtu.be/HZpYIIlCyV4

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Angel Martínez put a charge into one earlier today in a 2-2 effort with 3 runs batted in.

https://twitter.com/CleGuardians/status ... dium=email

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Juan Zapata (RP): 0.2IP, 4H, 4ER - A second very rough outing in a row for Zapata. It was not a complete shock to see it go this way.

Rather polite way to say it.
He's a great "finisher" to make sure games don't go into extra innings; if they need 2 to tie, he'll give them 3; if he needs 3 he'll offer 4.

Pretty windy again in the valley today. Another 25 run game today?

split squad today; Logan Allen and Tanner Bibee both with their debuts.
Interesting to see Freeman in CF again on one game; Florial in the other. Is Straw hurt? Is Freeman being given a chance to win at least part time in Center, or just adding to his versatility
Still no Bo

Game's televised here. Been a loooong work week. Just finished vacuuming the house. It's time to put a pizza in the oven, lay bac,k and relax for a change. My first Cleveland game in a couple of years now.

'A Lot To Be Excited About' With Chase DeLauter, Guardians News

Cleveland Guardians: Stephen Vogt says he's not sure when Chase DeLauter will be on the big league roster but is encouraged by his development.

TOMMY WILD Feb 3, 2024 1 HOUR AGO

Spring Training always allows fans to see the next wave of talent, even if they won't be on the Opening Day roster. That's exactly where Cleveland Guardians outfield prospect Chase DeLauter falls

Stephen Vogt broke down what he's seen from DeLauter so far in camp and needless to say that the Guardians manager is thrilled about how he's played.

"Yeah, it's been fun to watch," said Vogt. "Obviously, Chase is a presence in the box. Watching him run the outfield too, and run the bases, there's a lot to be excited about with Chase. It's just been fun getting to watch him play."

With all that being said, the goal for DeLauter in 2023 isn't necessarily to be playing with the major league team. There are some smaller steps he has to take first.

"I like what I see, there's a lot of promise there. I think what's most important is that Chase has a healthy season. That's what we want for him and the future is bright for him. He'll impact our roster at some point, when that comes, I don't know. But I've really enjoyed getting to know him and watching him and there's a lot to be excited about with Chase," said Vogt.

DeLauter has currently played in four games for the Guardians and received seven at-bats. In that small sample size, he's recorded four hits, has an OPS of 1.768, and drilled a home run that went 478 feet.

The 2022 First Round pick spent the majority of the 2023 season with the Lake County Captains (A+) and finished the last few weeks of the season with the Akron Rubber Ducks (Double-A). There is definitely more development needed and, as Vogt said, getting him through a healthy season, before being a part of the big league club.

However, at some point, that time will come. If the Guardians continue to get underwhelming outfield performance it could be here sooner than later.

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LaMonte Wade Jr. homers (1) on a fly ball to right center field off of Bibee. Jung Hoo Lee scores.

SF 2,
CLE 0
Mid 1

Deyvison De Los Santos singles on a ground ball to left fielder Miles Mastrobuoni. Tyler Freeman scores.

CLE 1,
CHC 0
Mid 1

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Watching that Cubs game on tv. Some trivia the announcers pointed out:

Angel Martinez's dad was the catcher in the famous Kerry Wood 20 strikeout game.

Allen on the mound

Mike Tauchman called out on strikes.
Seiya Suzuki grounds out, second baseman Angel Martínez to first baseman Deyvison De Los Santos. 2 outs
Dansby Swanson strikes out swinging. 3 outs
End of 1
CLE 1 CHI 0

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Angel Martínez doubles (2) on a line drive to left fielder Miles Mastrobuoni. (Off the top of the wall) Just missed a homer.
Johnathan Rodriguez grounds out, third baseman Nick Madrigal to first baseman Michael Busch.
Juan Brito walks
Brayan Rocchio grounds into a force out, first baseman Michael Busch to shortstop Dansby Swanson. Angel Martínez to 3rd. Juan Brito out at 2nd. Brayan Rocchio to 1st. 2 outsBrayan Rocchio grounds into a force out, first baseman Michael Busch to shortstop Dansby Swanson. Angel Martínez to 3rd. Juan Brito out at 2nd. Brayan Rocchio to 1st. 2 outs
Tyler Freeman singles on a soft line drive to right fielder Seiya Suzuki. Angel Martínez scores. Brayan Rocchio to 2nd.
Will Brennan flies out to center fielder Mike Tauchman. 3 outs
Mid 2 CLE 2 CHI 0

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Michael Busch walks.
Yan Gomes grounds into a double play, second baseman Angel Martínez to first baseman Deyvison De Los Santos. Michael Busch out at 2nd. Yan Gomes out at 1st.
Nick Madrigal lines out to right fielder Will Brennan. 3 outs
Allen dealing. Taking about 10 seconds between pitches
End of 2 CLE 2 Chi 0

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