by Angel Martinez was moved to the injured list heading into Tuesday’s match between the Cleveland Guardians and Milwaukee Brewers, and the already depleted lineup showed how truly weak it can perform at times.
Cleveland’s pitching staff probably knew it would have to carry the heavy load heading into this road trip, but it’s hard to win when giving up two runs is your limit.
The Guardians held one of baseball’s strongest lineups to just the two runs on four hits, but it wasn’t enough as the Brewers took the opener by a final score of 2-1.
Moving to 39-34, Cleveland will have to do some major soul-searching within the clubhouse. Already mired in a bad streak, losers of six of their last nine, the Guardians find themselves mightily injured and unable to swing the bat when it counts.
Up until Brice Turang’s solo home run in the bottom of the fourth, Slade Cecconi and Robert Gasser were locked in a dead heat. Cleveland and Milwaukee managed to bring in just one hit apiece before the aspiring All-Star second baseman broke the scoreless tie.
Gasser was electric through five and two-thirds innings, allowing just two hits and two walks on 92 pitches, striking out five Guardians.
As for Cecconi, Tuesday’s game marked the third consecutive start where the 26-year-old right-hander pitched very well but received absolutely no run support. On the bright side for Cecconi, he was not handed the losing decision in five and two-thirds innings of one-run baseball, giving up just three hits and striking out four.
In his return from a left hamstring injury, Gabriel Arias tied the game at the top of the seventh. His single to right field brought home Stuart Fairchild, who was standing on second due to a previously thrown wild pitch by Aaron Ashby.
With the whole lineup in a major funk and its best producers sidelined due to injury, the return of Arias may be a silver lining the Guardians are in desperate need of.
However, the relief for Cleveland was incredibly short-lived. With Hunter Gaddis coming on to relieve Cecconi at the top of the eighth, outfielder Garrett Mitchell led off with a 440-foot shot into dead center, and Milwaukee reclaimed the lead.
The following frame saw some dramatics from Brewers reliever Abner Uribe, as he usually provides. Two wild pitches put Guardians on second and third, but Uribe struck out Kyle Manzardo and sent Cleveland packing.
At the top of the ninth, there were no such dramatics. Trevor Megill promptly sent the Guardians packing in order, putting an end to Tuesday’s contest.
Wednesday’s game, slated for a 7:40 p.m. start time, will bring Cleveland ace Gavin Williams to American Family Field. In his last start, Williams was roughed up by the New York Yankees, but did not pick up the losing decision.
