The Cleveland Guardians have found a way to keep their postseason hopes alive in the final two weeks of the season, despite several losing streaks that had fans counting them out.
Ideastream Public Media’s sports commentator Terry Pluto said he had written them off at least twice this year.
“In the summer they had a 10-game losing streak," Pluto said. "Then, they played pretty well for about a month and then they lost nine out of 10 again. And I figured, well, that’s it… And here we are into September (and) they’re back in contention again."
Pluto also reflected on the Guardians’ sustained consistency, noting it started with Terry Francona’s hiring in 2013 and carried through under then-rookie manager Steven Vogt last year.
“In that whole time, they've only played 25 total games where they were eliminated from post-season contention," Pluto said. "Or in other words, what you would call 25 meaningless games because you're out of it. That's an incredible record in that long of a span."
Pluto said of the 30 teams in the Majors, Cleveland ranks 30th in team batting average (.225), 29th in on base plus slugging percentage (.667) and 27th in runs scored (566). Add in two pitchers on paid leave due to a gambling investigation, and most teams would be in serious trouble. But Pluto said part of what makes the Guardians unique is their drama-free approach to baseball in a city dominated by football.
“(I) mentioned the two pitchers, (Emmanuel) Clase and (Luis) Ortiz, who are in sort of nowhere land waiting for Major League Baseball to finish their investigation and whether these guys bet on some professional baseball... that normally would be a drama filled thing," Pluto said. "But it's like the way (the Guardians) handle business, it's like, ‘Oh, well, okay, that's it.’ And it's kind of like (Clase and Ortiz) were abducted by Martians and they're gone and we'll just play with what we got. We'll find somebody else.”
Cade Smith has taken over as the closer for Clase and has a little more than three runs per nine innings, with 15 saves in 70 appearances this season. The Guardians have been using a six-man pitching rotation, with rookie Parker Messick, Slade Cecconi, Joey Cantillo, Logan Allen, Gavin Williams and Tanner Bibee.
“It's almost like (the Guardians) are like Amazon,” Pluto said. “They order something else and they show up at your doorstep. I mean, actually they've gone through the farm system for several years, but it just seems like that. They like find these guys without spending a lot of money for big name free agents.”
Despite a low payroll, Pluto said the Guardians are proving that big spending isn’t the only path to success.
“A lot of teams like the Mets and everywhere else spend a ton of money and it doesn’t guarantee they're winning a World Series either," Pluto said. "It's almost as if (the Guardians) are penalized because they're doing it with, some people would say, the hard way or the old-fashioned way with trades and prospects because they're not a glamour team. Of all the franchises in town, the team that faces the most financial obstacles, the team that has to do it the hardest, and then the team that receives the least credit are the Cleveland Guardians.”
After a 7-5 win over Detroit Tuesday, the Guardians are 5.5 games behind the first-place Tigers in the American League Central Division. Cleveland is 2.5 games out of a wild card playoff spot.
