To call Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Triston McKenzie’s performance in Saturday afternoon’s 5-1 win over the Los Angeles Angels dazzling is an understatement.
McKenzie, who threw 7 ⅔ perfect innings on Sunday against the Tigers in Detroit, followed up his masterful performance with another gem for the 31,406 in attendance, the largest crowd at Progressive Field so far in the 2021 season.
Every one of the 31,406 fans gave McKenzie a standing ovation after he was pulled from the game after throwing 7 innings, allowing two hits, one run, walking one Angel hitter, and striking out eight, including AL MVP favorite Shohei Ohtani three times.
The young right-hander was dialed-in, utilizing his fastball often, but able to use his curveball to get hitters to swing and miss throughout the day. McKenzie spoke to reporters on what he and catcher Austin Hedges planned today saying, “We’re going to force them to respect the heater, but we have other weapons.”
He did that and then some on Sunday, only having two innings where he threw more than 13 pitches and never threw more than six balls in one inning. McKenzie was locked in and then some.
For McKenzie, the month of August has shown that everything is clicking into place. He boasts a 1.93 ERA this month in four starts, with 28 strikeouts and just two walks in 28 innings. Compared to McKenzie’s performances in May, where he had a 7.56 ERA with 21 runs allowed and walks in 36 innings, it’s easy to see just how far he’s come.
But there’s still work to be done, said McKenzie… “Every day we go out and work, whether it’s playing catch tomorrow or bullpen (sessions). Always picking whatever the last start was, just working on making the slider tighter, making sure I’m getting the curveball in the right zones. I feel like (the curveballs) had good shape early on, but I wasn’t able to throw it for strikes and throw it for balls. I feel like I’m getting to the point where I have more of a consistent feeling.”
With the way McKenzie pitching the way he has been in August, it’s clear to see that the sky's the limit for him as he enters 2022 and continues to develop.
Where do they go from here?
Heading into 2022, the Cleveland Guardians will be in an interesting position thanks to the way this season has transpired. While the injuries to the starting rotation have caused many pitchers to be pushed into roles in the big leagues in 2021, it also has given the club a unique opportunity to look at who could compete for the final two spots in the starting rotation for 2022.
McKenzie seems to be all but locked into the fourth spot in the rotation, especially after the past two performances. Tomorrow’s starting pitcher Cal Quantrill would be who I would look at as the fifth starter. Quantrill has allowed seven runs in his past seven starts total, while striking out 37 batters in 41 innings.
Young pitchers like Eli Morgan and Sam Hentges have shown flashes at times, but look to need more seasoning and a traditional offseason of work. Hentges could be an interesting option as a long reliever.
The young arms will be a storyline to follow as the last month and a half finishes up and heads into the 2022 season.
It starts at the top
It might sound like a broken record, but Indians hitters Amed Rosario and Myles Straw continue to be red hot at the plate in August.
Rosario went 3-3 with his first home run of the month. With that performance, he has raised his average from .264 on July 31st to .285 in 18 games.
What led to this hot performance? Consistency says Rosario… “I think the key is sticking to my routines, month after month, being able to stick to my routines has been able to perform the way I have performed.”
As for Straw, Indians interim manager DeMarlo Hale thought that Straw has performed well at the top of the order.
“Since he’s come over, he’s performed well up there,” Hale said. “I want him to be as comfortable as possible up there.” And comfortable he has been, hitting .325 in August.
Straw has been quite impressive as a contact hitter and defender in centerfield. It looks like the top of the Indians order could be solved for years to come.
What’s next?
The Indians will travel to Williamsport, PA to play the final game of a three game series against the Angels at 7:10pm. Quantrill (3-2, 3.24) will get the start for the Tribe, taking on left-hander José Suarez (5-6, 3.88) for the Angels.