The fourth inning of Tuesday’s 3-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series is where everything tilted for the Guardians.
The game was still scoreless, the Rays had no outs, and Parker Messick appeared to catch Junior Caminero looking at strike three. The call never came.
Caminero eventually worked a walk, and the Guardians did not challenge. Not long after that, Brayan Rocchio had a chance to help finish off what looked like a double play at first, but the throw was not clean enough.
Then Jose Ramirez, with two outs, made a rare error that opened the door for Tampa Bay’s rally.
That sequence has pushed Rocchio into the crosshairs for some fans, and not just because of the play in the field. His postseason bat has gone cold, too. After Tuesday, he was hitting .091 with a -10 wRC+ and a .291 OPS.
Ken Carman isn’t buying the rush to move on from him.
“We’re always so quick to bench guys. Guys, we’re not the Yankees.
The Yankees, they just want everybody benched if they’re not doing well, okay? If you have that type of history and you have that type of payroll, you can go ahead and have that standard.
But it’s an unrealistic standard in our world. If you’re making such quick, strong moves, I don’t trust your manager.
I also think your front office is making bad decisions. I’m not giving up on guys that they’ve selected.
I’m not giving up on guys that they traded for. It is always going to be the advantage of the veteran.
And all it takes is Brayan Rocchio to come up in one moment with two on and two out and give me a two-run single. That’s all I need to change the conversation on Brayan Rocchio.
Seriously,” Carman said.
Carman’s point is simple: one rough stretch, even in October, shouldn’t erase what Rocchio has already shown. In September, the conversation around him was all about “Rocctember” and “Rocctober,” after he kept coming through with clutch hits and plays. He has a knack for the dramatic, with walk-off homers and game-winning balls to his name.
That version of Rocchio has not shown up in the postseason yet, but that doesn’t mean it’s gone for good. The Guardians also have reason to stay with him.
He posted a 99 wRC+ with 15 home runs this season and remains an excellent defender. Even a difficult play in the field doesn’t change that big-picture view.
Some fans have floated the idea of sitting Rocchio and giving Angel Genao the shortstop job, but the stronger case is that Cleveland is better with Rocchio in the lineup. For now, patience looks like the right play.
In Other News...
Guardians' Most Painful Trade Looks Even Worse After New Report
The 2021 swap that sent Junior Caminero from Cleveland to Tampa Bay has long lingered as one of the organizations toughest second guesses, and fresh reporting only adds another layer to the regret. The Guardians moved the then-rising prospect for pitcher Tobias Myers, a deal made with the hope of solving a pitching need while parting with a young hitter who was still far from the majors.
Now the sting is not just what Cleveland gave up, but how close the Rays came to asking for something else from the system before settling on Caminero. Xzavion Curry was among the minor leaguers Tampa Bay initially sought, and the fact that Caminero has developed into a top prospect while Myers and Curry have had quieter big league careers makes the trade look even harder to defend in hindsight. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Schedule Change Created An Unusual MLB Playoff Ripple
MLBs postseason calendar picked up an odd little domino effect Wednesday, with the league moving Game 4 of the NLCS between the Dodgers and Brewers up an hour to 8 p.m. ET. The change did not come out of nowhere. It followed the earlier decision to shift ALCS Game 3 between the Guardians and Rays from 6 p.m. ET to 1 p.m. ET because of expected inclement weather, a reminder of how one playoff adjustment can ripple across the rest of the bracket.
For Cleveland fans, the practical part is simple: the team confirmed that tickets and parking passes will still work for the new start time. The bigger picture is a postseason schedule that can still bend quickly around weather, TV and the rest of the leagues needs, even as the Guardians try to stay focused on the field rather than the clock. [Read more 🡒]
Gavin Williams Is Giving Guardians Fans Another Reason To Believe
Gavin Williams has already done his share to fuel Clevelands October run, and now he is looking to add something else to the mix as the Guardians head into the next round. The young starting pitcher said he wants to be a more vocal leader as the club prepares for Game 3 of the American League Championship Series, a sign of how quickly he has grown from power arm to one of the voices in the room.
Williams backed up that confidence with his latest outing, throwing 5.2 scoreless innings with 12 strikeouts in the series-clinching win over the Chicago White Sox. Cleveland now turns to a Game 3 matchup with the Tampa Bay Rays, set for 1 PM ET Thursday after a weather-related delay from the original 6 PM start, and the Guardians will be hoping their emerging starter brings the same edge both on the mound and in the clubhouse. [Read more 🡒]