Welcome back to another edition of a recap of a game the Guardians have played eighty-five million times this season. They have lost a 1-0, 2-1, 3-1, or 3-2 game for the 175th time this season. It is an MLB record.
Joey Cantillo was good, again, tonight. He’s begun spinning his breaking pitches much more effectively recently, something that has yielded great success for him. Even though the Mariners have been bad against LHP this season, Cantillo was still able to shut them down quickly and effectively.
He went 6 innings, striking out 9, and giving up his only run of the night on a homer from Colt Emerson (an Ohio native, if anyone were surprised).
Khalil Watson cares! He drove in the only run of the night, tonight, on an RBI double off the left field wall.
Khalil Watson is responsible for driving in 6 of the Guardians last 9 runs if you were wondering how the offense has been.
Herrin pitched again. In the 7th inning. Yay. Walked Cal Raleigh (.575 OPS) and Dominic Canzone (23 PA vs LHP) to start the inning. Got old friend Josh Naylor to ground into a double play on the first pitch, but then Travis Bazzana was unable to come up with another groundball, leading to the go-ahead run scoring.
Espino gave up a run in the 8th on a Rodriguez RBI single.
Manzardo, Rocchio, and Watson went strikeout-strikeout-groundout to end the game.
In what was, yet again, an uninspiring performance from both the offense and bullpen, the Guardians dropped the series opener against a struggling Mariners team, 3-1.
It’ll be Cecconi vs. Gilbert/Hancock (piggybacking) tomorrow night.
