CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – The Cleveland Guardians are walking a tightrope.
Unable to score runs and hamstrung by some recent injuries to their pitching staff, they’re clinging to first place in the American League Central with the Twins and White Sox are nipping at their heels.
The race to the finish got even closer Saturday night, after the Guardians dropped their fourth-straight in a 4-0 shutout loss to the Seattle Mariners at Progressive Field.
It’s not a whole lot of fun right now. Nobody is showing up right now to not score and lose,” said manager Terry Francona. “But the only way I know to do it right is to just keep fighting and keep clawing and don’t give up.”
The list of words to describe the offenses struggles is running short. Cleveland has scored just one run over its last four games, which ties the club record for the fewest runs over a four-game span set in July of 1961. The Guards collected nine base hits Saturday night, all singles.
“It’s just not getting that big hit; I think we’re putting ourselves in a pretty good spot. We’re just not getting that one hit,” said left fielder Steven Kwan. “I think we’re putting some good swings on it but just not putting it all together.”
Kwan went 2-for-4 and Owen Miller also collected two singles. The rest of the Guardians lineup scattered five hits against the Mariners pitchers and starter Robbie Ray.
“I think it’s just baseball, (there’s) a lot of variance with it,” Kwan said. “Some barrels are finding guys and they today they jammed some balls and they found some holes. I think it’s baseball.”
Seattle’s offense came in the form of two runs on a pair of bases-loaded walks, a home run and an RBI single. Guardians starter Xzavion Curry pitched into the fifth inning, and despite running out of gas he kept his club within striking distance.
“For a kid that threw 50-percent strikes and didn’t strike anyone out, he competed like crazy,” Francona said. “We know he’s not the finished product. But when they compete like that, that’s a big ask tonight. But he didn’t back down. He gave it everything he had.”
Curry allowed just one earned run over this first four innings.
Ty France launched a solo home onto the home run porch in the top of the first inning. In the second, Jose Ramirez had a chance to turn a ground Seattle's J.P. Crawford into an inning-ending double play but bobbled the ball and his scoop to second base trickle to the bag.
The error proved to be a costly one after Curry walked in a run when he issued a bases-loaded free-pass to Mitch Haninger. The rookie got Eugenio Suarez to line out to avoid any more damage.
“Regardless of if I walk someone or give up a hit, just keep the same mindset; take it pitch by pitch,” Curry said. “I mess up the last pitch, make a better pitch and just keep attacking the zone. Trying to let the defense work and just try to get hitters out.”
Curry worked into the fifth inning when he got Suarez to line out to Tyler Freeman. But after three consecutive walks, Curry’s night was over after 93 pitches.
“I just lost the timing of my body. Got a little tired, things just start unraveling. So, you kind of just pull some (pitches), let some loose,” Curry said.
Nick Sandlin immediately gave up an RBI single and another walk but retired the next two batters to keep the score 4-0.
But whatever curse the Seattle pitching staff put on Guardians hitters last week has yet to wear off. Cleveland managed just three hits, two coming in the ninth inning and was shut out for their fourth time in the last six games.
“We’ve run into some really good pitching and we’re not swinging the bats, collectively, really well. That’s a bad combination,” Francona said. “All the things I said last week about this group, I still feel the same way. We’ve got to figure it out.”