Cleveland is heading into Thursday’s series finale in Boston with a pitching plan that looks anything but ordinary.
According to The Athletic’s Zack Meisel, the Guardians will use Daniel Espino as the opener and Joey Cantillo in bulk. Meisel wrote, “The Guardians will have Daniel Espino open tomorrow’s game, with Joey Cantillo pitching in bulk.”
The setup gives manager Stephen Vogt another flexible option at a moment when every move matters. Cleveland dropped Wednesday’s game 1-0 to the Red Sox, ending a six-game winning streak even with a strong outing from Foster Griffin. Now the Guardians are down to four games left in the regular season, and the margin in the AL Central is razor thin.
Cleveland enters Thursday at 82-76, just one game ahead of the White Sox, who are 81-77. Chicago owns the season-series tiebreaker, which means the Guardians cannot afford to simply finish even with their rivals. They need the better overall record to win the division outright, and that also keeps alive the chance at a first-round bye that comes with taking the AL Central.
Cantillo’s role makes sense in that context. He has moved between the rotation and the bullpen this season, giving Cleveland the kind of flexibility that can be useful in a spot like this.
The Guardians still have a trip to Kansas City after Thursday’s finale, so this stretch is being handled with the full picture in mind. If the plan holds and Cleveland gets a win in Boston, it could help settle the division race before the final weekend even starts.
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The ripple effects extended beyond Cleveland, too, with the result keeping the AL West race knotted as the Astros and Rangers stayed tied for the lead. It also bought the Mariners another day of hope in the postseason chase, even as Naylors own season has been uneven overall, which made the timing of the swing all the more meaningful for a Cleveland team looking for any edge it can get. [Read more 🡒]
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The setup is favorable, too, with Clevelands schedule and standings pointing to a normal turn against the Kansas City Royals. That gives Williams one more opportunity to add to his total and maybe tighten the race before the final week closes on him, leaving the outcome of the strikeout battle hanging on one last start. [Read more 🡒]