Daniel Espino gave Stephen Vogt exactly the kind of inning that keeps October from turning into a referendum.
When Vogt lifted Gavin Williams after five efficient innings on 70 pitches Thursday, it was the sort of call that can turn ugly fast if the next reliever doesn’t handle business. Williams had already logged 11 2/3 postseason innings entering the day and was only a little more than a week removed from the first relief appearance of his career, so Vogt said the move had as much to do with workload as anything else.
That still left room for the kind of second-guessing that tends to bloom in the postseason. Managers know that better than anyone. Every October decision gets played in high definition, and a choice that would barely register in July can become the winter’s loudest debate if it goes sideways.
Espino made sure this one didn’t.
He came in and retired the Rays in order, then punctuated the outing by punching out Junior Caminero with a 100 mile per hour fastball above the strike zone. It was the kind of moment that can change the temperature of a game - and, for a young pitcher, the tone of a whole postseason run.
This wasn’t the first time Vogt had leaned on Espino against Tampa Bay’s top bats, either. The right-hander was tasked with handling Yandy Díaz, Jonathan Aranda and Caminero again, and he set them down in order for the second straight appearance. Against that trio this postseason, Espino has now done the job twice.
He has looked up to the moment, too. Through 3 1/3 innings in the postseason, Espino owns a 2.70 ERA.
The bigger picture is just as important for Cleveland. Espino’s clean frame not only kept Vogt from having his own Kevin Cash-style postgame cloud hanging over the night, it also preserved Williams for what comes next. Whether that next turn arrives on normal rest in Game 7 or out of the bullpen before then remains to be seen.
Either way, Thursday made one thing clear: Vogt trusts Espino in the biggest spots, and Espino has started paying that trust back.
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 🡒]