The Guardians have built their identity on a bullpen that usually hands the game back in good shape. This month, though, that same unit has started to leak traffic in a way Cleveland can’t afford.
Since the start of August, the Guardians’ relievers have posted a 14.4 percent walk rate, the third-highest in baseball over that stretch. It’s not just one arm dragging the group down, either. The problem has spread across the bullpen.
Tim Herrin, Cade Smith and Craig Yoho have each walked four batters since August began. Erik Sabrowski and Hunter Gaddis have issued three free passes apiece. Matt Festa, Slade Cecconi and Franco Aleman have each allowed two walks.
Colin Holderman has given up the fewest walks in August with one, but he has also hit four batters, the most on the team over the last two weeks.
That kind of traffic becomes costly fast, and Cleveland saw it happen against the White Sox last Saturday. After Holderman hit two batters in the bottom of the sixth, both of them scored later in the inning on a double.
The point isn’t to pin the whole thing on Holderman, who has been excellent for the Guardians all season. It’s a reminder of what happens when pitchers keep handing out extra baserunners.
The encouraging part is that this hasn’t been a season-long issue. Cleveland’s bullpen owns a 10.2 percent walk rate for the year, so this looks more like a rough patch than a permanent flaw.
Still, it’s a rough patch arriving at the wrong time. The Guardians’ offense has struggled to cash in on chances, which leaves almost no room for mistakes. And when the team is averaging about four runs per game since the All-Star Break, every walk gets magnified.
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The numbers behind the downturn are hard to ignore. Rocchio has hit just .109 over his last 15 games since July 25, and he and Ramrez have combined to go 16-for-103 in that span. With those two key bats struggling at the same time, the Guardians have watched their postseason position slip, turning what had been an encouraging push into a more urgent search for offense. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Offensive Skid Comes Down To One Frustrating Problem
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Stephen Vogt and Chase DeLauter have both pointed to the mental side of those scoring-position spots, which fits the numbers and helps explain why the problem has lingered. For Cleveland, the frustration is not just the missed chances themselves, but the way those missed chances keep repeating in the same kinds of innings, leaving a lineup that creates opportunity without finishing the job. [Read more 🡒]