While it has been an injury-plagued season for the Cleveland Indians starting rotation, there have been some glimmers of hope for the future thanks to the extended look at the young arms in the organization. On Friday night’s 6-0 win over the Detroit Tigers, young Indians starting pitcher Cal Quantrill got to showcase why he needs to be in the Guardians starting rotation come 2022.
The right-hander continued his recent hot streak of starts on Friday, striking out a career-high ten Tigers, allowing just four hits, and not issuing any walks in seven innings pitched.
Quantrill, 26, was acquired by Cleveland in the Mike Clevinger trade last August. He was initially being utilized as a long reliever by the club. With his recent stretch, it’s hard to think that he will find himself out of the rotation again.
Get well soon…
Indians first baseman Bobby Bradley got off to a good start on Friday night, notching two hits, including an RBI double in the fourth inning. His night ended prematurely, exiting the ballgame in the fifth inning with a left knee injury. He was replaced by outfielder Harold Ramirez, who played the position for the first time in his professional career (major or minor leagues).
Defense, defense, defense
For Cleveland, saying the defense has struggled mightily at times this season is an understatement. Friday night, the defense, especially infielder Ernie Clement, got to flex its muscles…
“Tonight was special,” Quantrill said of the defense tonight speaking to reporters. He later added, “[The defense] makes you feel comfortable attacking hitters.”
Clement has been known for his versatility, playing all across the infield, but this play from the young infielder really showcased his value on the defensive side. Clement also went 3-4 at the plate, scoring twice.
As Clement simply put it following the game: “Just trying to make a play for our guys.”
Final Straw
While the MLB Trade Deadline was a relatively quiet one for the Cleveland Indians, one move could pay dividends for the club in the future, that being the trade of reliever Phil Maton to the Houston Astros for outfielder Myles Straw.
In the seven games since joining the team, Straw has had a .296 batting average with an on-base percentage of .321. He has injected plenty of speed into the outfield, while also adding tremendous defense to a group that sorely needed it.
For an outfield that has struggled to find consistent play, Straw offers the team a leadoff hitter who could add a solid presence for the present and the future.
What comes next?
First pitch for the Tigers and Indians clash at Progressive Field Saturday night takes place at 7:10 pm. Left-handed pitcher Tyler Alexander (1-1, 4.77 ERA) gets the nod for the Tigers, where he will duel against Indians starting pitcher Eli Morgan (1-3, 6.75 ERA).