CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – Like the thermometer, the Guardians offense went ice cold Monday night.
Cal Quantrill was unable to warm up on the mound either for Cleveland.
Here’s our Final 9 takeaways from a chilly 6-0 loss to the Rockies for the Guardians which dropped them below .500 at 11-12.
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1. Quantrill’s night was brief, and not very good. In suffering his second loss of the season Quantrill was charged with five runs on eight hits with two walks and two strikeouts in 3 1/3 innings of work. “I thought it started with his fastball command,” manager Terry Francona said. “He was scattering his fastball and it kind of started from there. You know, look up and what's three and a third? 10 base runners? That's a lot.”
2. Colorado jumped on Quantrill early. Left fielder Jurickson Profar slapped one of Quantrill's offerings to the seats in right field with one out in the top of the first for a 1-0 Rockies lead. Profar delivered a two-run single as part of a four-run fourth for the Rockies to run out to a 5-0 advantage. “Just didn't make good pitches in bad counts and fell behind a couple guys,” Quantrill said. “But we battled. Just didn't have my best game today.”
3. Quantrill admitted he’s “been fighting the delivery a little bit” with his splitter. “I really haven't had a chance to use it as much as we want to, but I still think it looks good in the bullpen and we're kind of just, we got to get things right before we can mix it in as much
4. This is the third time this season the Guardians were shut out on the young season. Monday night also marked the 12th time in 23 games Cleveland scored three or fewer runs in a game.
5. Francona had hoped to start Xzavion Curry Wednesday afternoon in the series finale, but had to call on Curry in the top of the sixth. “I was talking to Chris [Antonetti] and Churn [Mike Churnoff] before the game and I said I'll try to stay away from this kid because I don't want to force anybody's hand. That's not why we're here. But I didn't know where else to go. To that kid's credit he pitched his ass off. He'd done a really terrific job in a really tough role, especially for a young kid.” Curry threw 3 1/3 hitless and scoreless innings of relief. “I'm just trying to go in there and fill up the strike zone and trying to keep them swinging, get some quick outs and get those guys back in so they can hit,” Curry said.
6. Mike Moustakas still loves Cleveland pitching after all of these years. Moustakas, who used to torment the Indians as a member of the Royals, went 3-4 with two runs scored Monday night for the Rockies.
7. Steven Kwan was the offense for the Guardians with a 3-4 night at the plate but Austin Gomber, who came in with an 0-4 record and a 12.12 ERA, kept the rest of the lineup in check. “He come in struggling and you hope that that continues,” Francona said. “I'd say he used his fastball to both sides [of the plate] and then he spun it.”
8. Crew chief and first base umpire Doug Eddings didn’t get the memo about the name change in Cleveland. In the top of the eighth Francona won a challenge of a safe call at first of Brenton Doyle. When Eddings announced the challenge in the ballpark he said, “The Indians have challenged the safe call at first base.”
9. It was a balmy 39 degrees at first pitch. According to the Guardians 9,258 souls braved the chilly weather, including Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson, who had some sweet seats.