The Guardians’ doubleheader opener against the Tigers could have gone off the rails fast, and for a while, it looked headed that way.
Cleveland made the somewhat surprising call to give Logan Allen the ball in Game 1 on Thursday night, and the result was rough in a hurry. Allen was tagged for five runs in just 2 1/3 innings, a start that left the Guardians in a deep hole on a day when they had to get through 18 innings.
That’s when Slade Cecconi stepped in and changed the shape of the game.
Cecconi, back after missing a little less than a month with arm fatigue that appeared to come from his move to the bullpen, came on in relief and gave the Guardians 2 2/3 important innings. He wasn’t spotless - Spencer Torkelson got him for a home run - but Cleveland needed stability, and that’s exactly what Cecconi provided in an eventual 7-6 walk-off win.
The outing started shakily because of the homer to Torkelson, the second batter Cecconi faced. But he settled in from there, finishing the third and then blanking Detroit in the fourth. That inning opened the door for Brayan Rocchio’s game-tying homer in the bottom half.
Cecconi kept rolling after that. He worked a 1-2-3 fifth, highlighted by getting Riley Greene to bounce into a 4-6-3 double play and then striking out Ben Malgeri to end the frame.
The line wasn’t flashy, but the stuff was there. Cecconi reached only five whiffs, yet his velocity was up across his pitches, and he leaned most heavily on his sweeper after using it just 5% of the time this season.
Rocchio’s bat may have grabbed the headlines, but Cecconi’s work mattered plenty. He kept the Guardians afloat long enough for the bullpen’s higher-leverage arms to take over, and in the process gave Cleveland a possible answer in a spot that suddenly matters a whole lot more.
With Allen’s start nearly blowing up the game, Cecconi’s performance stood out as a reminder that the Guardians may have found another useful bullpen option as they push toward a postseason spot.
In Other News...
Former Guardians Outfielder Suddenly Back In The Middle Of Seattle's Push
Stuart Fairchild is back on a major league roster again, and this time the opportunity comes with a little more urgency for Seattle. After putting up strong numbers at Triple-A Tacoma, Fairchild was brought back by the Mariners to fill a roster spot opened when Victor Robles was placed on the family medical emergency list, giving the club another outfield option at a time when every healthy bat matters.
For Fairchild, the move adds another stop to a season that has already taken him through brief stints with both the Mariners and the Cleveland Guardians before he returned on a minor league deal with Seattle. His path has been anything but settled, but the Mariners clearly liked what they saw in Tacoma enough to pull him back into the middle of their push, even if the longer-term answer in the outfield remains to be determined. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Suddenly Have Another Chase DeLauter Health Concern
Chase DeLauters latest interruption came in the middle of a game, when the Guardians outfielder left after injuring his right wrist in his second at-bat. Stephen Vogt said DeLauter is expected to be day-to-day and is already getting treatment for soreness and stiffness, another reminder that Cleveland has had to keep recalibrating around one of its most intriguing young players.
The wrist issue arrives just after DeLauter sat out a series against the Los Angeles Angels because of hamstring tightness, extending a stretch in which availability has been the bigger question than production. For a player trying to build momentum, the timing is frustrating, and for the Guardians it adds another layer of uncertainty to a roster that could use some stability from him. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Keep Ignoring A First Base Answer Fans Want To See
Ralphy Velazquez has done enough in Triple-A to keep his name in the conversation, especially with the Guardians still looking for more offense at first base. The prospects production has made him an obvious candidate for a look in Cleveland, and general manager Mike Chernoff even acknowledged that Velazquez has earned a promotion based on performance.
For now, though, the path is blocked by roster fit rather than merit. Chernoff said there is not a role for Velazquez on the major league club at the moment, and he also pushed back on the idea that any looming labor concerns are driving the decision. So the question around first base remains the same one fans have been asking: if Velazquez keeps forcing the issue, when does Cleveland finally make room? [Read more 🡒]