Latest news with #ALDivisionSeries
Canada Standard
06-07-2025
- Sport
- Canada Standard
Tigers' Tarik Skubal looks to hand Guardians 10th straight loss
(Photo credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images) Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal's quest for a second straight American League Cy Young Award continues Sunday, when Detroit wraps up a three-game series at the Cleveland Guardians. Skubal (10-2, 2.15 ERA) takes on Guardians right-hander Gavin Williams (5-4, 3.86) in what is forecast to be one of the hottest days of the year in Northeast Ohio with temperatures at the ballpark in the mid-90s. The Tigers won the opener 2-1 on homers from Wenceel Perez and Zach McKinstry, then squeaked out a 1-0 victory Saturday, thanks to a solo shot from Spencer Torkelson. American League-leading Detroit managed just two hits in the second win -- both by Torkelson -- while sending Cleveland to its season-high ninth consecutive loss. 'We won the series, so we don't care how explosive we are or how we do it, especially within the division,' Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. 'Tork is going to try to do damage every time he takes a swing, and he's doing it. It's hard to argue with his approach.' Skubal has made nine regular-season starts against Cleveland, compiling a 3-2 record and 2.84 ERA with 57 strikeouts in 50 2/3 innings. He also went 0-1 with a 3.46 ERA in two road appearances against the Guardians during the 2024 AL Division Series. Detroit starter Reese Olson gave up a home run to Jose Ramirez in his 4 1/3 innings pitched Friday, while fellow righty Casey Mize didn't permit a baserunner past second base Saturday in arguably his best performance in the majors. Mize tossed seven scoreless innings for the initial time in his career, scattering four hits over a season-high 102 pitches. He stands a strong chance at being named to the All-Star Game when reserves and pitchers are announced following the series finale. 'In a tight game like this, you feel like you really need to buckle down,' said Mize, who is 1-0 with a 0.75 ERA against Cleveland this season. 'It's not the best situation to be in, but I kind of like them, to be honest. 'I know if the matchup is there, A.J. is going to give me the chance to stay in and succeed.' Williams will face the Tigers for the fifth time in his three seasons, posting a 1-2 record and 2.53 ERA over his first four starts against the Central Division rival. Nothing has gone right for the Guardians since June 25, when they beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4 in 10 innings. They've been outscored 41-13 and have been blanked five times in their nine consecutive defeats. Even a combined two-hitter Saturday by Logan Allen, Cade Smith, Paul Sewald and Tim Herrin wasn't enough to end the skid. 'It's going to pay off and we're going to see ourselves in a great spot at the end of the season,' Cleveland pitcher Slade Cecconi said. 'I fully believe that.' The best news for the Guardians came before the game Saturday, when former AL Cy Young Award winner Shane Bieber threw batting practice. The right-hander could rejoin the rotation in late July following Tommy John surgery. 'In regards to how my arm felt, I'm really happy with how it went,' Bieber said. 'But as a competitor, I just kind of got tired and threw a few more balls than I would have liked. Now, I can focus on how I can get better for my next live BP.' --Field Level Media
Canada News.Net
06-07-2025
- Sport
- Canada News.Net
Tigers' Tarik Skubal looks to hand Guardians 10th straight loss
(Photo credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images) Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal's quest for a second straight American League Cy Young Award continues Sunday, when Detroit wraps up a three-game series at the Cleveland Guardians. Skubal (10-2, 2.15 ERA) takes on Guardians right-hander Gavin Williams (5-4, 3.86) in what is forecast to be one of the hottest days of the year in Northeast Ohio with temperatures at the ballpark in the mid-90s. The Tigers won the opener 2-1 on homers from Wenceel Perez and Zach McKinstry, then squeaked out a 1-0 victory Saturday, thanks to a solo shot from Spencer Torkelson. American League-leading Detroit managed just two hits in the second win -- both by Torkelson -- while sending Cleveland to its season-high ninth consecutive loss. 'We won the series, so we don't care how explosive we are or how we do it, especially within the division,' Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. 'Tork is going to try to do damage every time he takes a swing, and he's doing it. It's hard to argue with his approach.' Skubal has made nine regular-season starts against Cleveland, compiling a 3-2 record and 2.84 ERA with 57 strikeouts in 50 2/3 innings. He also went 0-1 with a 3.46 ERA in two road appearances against the Guardians during the 2024 AL Division Series. Detroit starter Reese Olson gave up a home run to Jose Ramirez in his 4 1/3 innings pitched Friday, while fellow righty Casey Mize didn't permit a baserunner past second base Saturday in arguably his best performance in the majors. Mize tossed seven scoreless innings for the initial time in his career, scattering four hits over a season-high 102 pitches. He stands a strong chance at being named to the All-Star Game when reserves and pitchers are announced following the series finale. 'In a tight game like this, you feel like you really need to buckle down,' said Mize, who is 1-0 with a 0.75 ERA against Cleveland this season. 'It's not the best situation to be in, but I kind of like them, to be honest. 'I know if the matchup is there, A.J. is going to give me the chance to stay in and succeed.' Williams will face the Tigers for the fifth time in his three seasons, posting a 1-2 record and 2.53 ERA over his first four starts against the Central Division rival. Nothing has gone right for the Guardians since June 25, when they beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4 in 10 innings. They've been outscored 41-13 and have been blanked five times in their nine consecutive defeats. Even a combined two-hitter Saturday by Logan Allen, Cade Smith, Paul Sewald and Tim Herrin wasn't enough to end the skid. 'It's going to pay off and we're going to see ourselves in a great spot at the end of the season,' Cleveland pitcher Slade Cecconi said. 'I fully believe that.' The best news for the Guardians came before the game Saturday, when former AL Cy Young Award winner Shane Bieber threw batting practice. The right-hander could rejoin the rotation in late July following Tommy John surgery. 'In regards to how my arm felt, I'm really happy with how it went,' Bieber said. 'But as a competitor, I just kind of got tired and threw a few more balls than I would have liked. Now, I can focus on how I can get better for my next live BP.'
Hamilton Spectator
30-06-2025
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
Guardians look to rebound before All-Star break after one of worst offensive months in team history
CLEVELAND (AP) — To say June was a bad month for the Cleveland Guardians would be an understatement. One of the worst offensive months in team history would be more like it. The Guardians went 9-15 in June and had a .206 batting average, which is tied for the third-worst batting month in franchise history with at least 13 games played. 'We need to score more. We need to get more going,' manager Stephen Vogt said. 'We're all trying to be perfect right now, whether it's pitchers, position players, doesn't matter. Everybody's trying to be perfect. We need to relax. We need to just take a deep breath, take a step back and go play baseball.' Cleveland, which is on a four-game losing streak, begins a three-game series at the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday. At 40-42, they are 2 1/2 games out of a wild-card spot after being five games over .500 and in wild-card position on June 1. Last season, the Guardians won the AL Central and reached the AL Championship Series. The Guardians dropped five of six on its recent homestand and were shut out three times. They have scored runs in only two of the last 40 innings. They scored 72 runs during the month, the third-fewest they have scored in a June in franchise history. 'I think it's frustrating, but if we knew the answer, we would've done it two months ago,' outfielder Nolan Jones said. 'We have the arms to compete against anybody and have some guys who have been swinging it well and some guys like myself who haven't been contributing a ton.' José Ramírez is seventh in the American League with a .309 batting average, and leadoff hitter Steven Kwan is 11th at .295. The rest of the everyday lineup, though, doesn't have anyone batting above .250. The organization hoped catcher Bo Naylor would bounce back after batting only .201 last season, but that hasn't happened. Naylor has a .168 average and mired in a 1 for 31 slump since June 10. Outfielders Lane Thomas and David Fry — the heroes of last year's AL Division Series victory over Detroit — have also struggled with injuries and slow starts at the plate. Fry missed the first two months after undergoing offseason elbow surgery and is 6 for 43 with 21 strikeouts since returning. Thomas — who had stints on the IL because of wrist and foot injuries — is batting .168 but is 6 for 24 in his last seven games. The lack of offense is not surprising, as it was a potential concern during spring training. The Guardians go into July with a .226 team average, second-lowest in the majors. Despite the offensive struggles, the Guardians continue to get solid pitching. The staff had a 3.79 ERA in June, which was eighth-lowest in the majors. Shane Bieber was hoping to be back by the All-Star break after having Tommy John surgery on his right elbow last April, but his comeback is delayed by elbow soreness. Chris Antonetti, Cleveland's president of baseball operations, did credit Naylor as one reason for the pitching staff's solid month. 'The pitching staff has not wavered, and the fact that he's been able to help and he's been a big part of that group making progress over the last couple months and separate his offense out from that, it's a great credit to him,' Antonetti said. Whether help is on the way through the minors or other moves leading up to the July 31 MLB trade deadline is something to keep an eye on. Outfielder Chase DeLauter is batting .305 in Triple-A Columbus with a 26-game on-base streak, while first baseman/outfielder C.J. Kayfus has 10 home runs and a .303 average. The biggest concern with DeLauter remains injuries. He was contending for a roster spot during spring training before having surgery in March to address a sports hernia injury. 'We're constantly thinking about, 'How do we find that right mix of guys to give us the best chance to compete each night at the major league level.' And we do believe that we will get reinforcements and support from some players that are not yet at the major league level,' Antonetti said. 'I think as we look forward, the results will be better from here than they've been over the last month. I don't think the last month is indicative of the potential of the guys that are on the roster.' After a difficult June, the schedule doesn't get any easier for the Guardians. After the Cubs series, they host AL Central leader Detroit for three games before a seven-game road trip to Houston and the Chicago White Sox ahead of the All-Star break. 'We've got 13 games in a row coming up after this off-day. We have an opportunity to get it rolling, and that's the way I look at it,' Vogt said. 'This is a really talented team. I believe in each and every one of these guys, and I know we're going to break out of it.' ___ AP MLB:
NBC Sports
30-06-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Guardians look to rebound before All-Star break after one of worst offensive months in team history
CLEVELAND — To say June was a bad month for the Cleveland Guardians would be an understatement. One of the worst offensive months in team history would be more like it. The Guardians went 9-15 in June and had a .206 batting average, which is tied for the third-worst batting month in franchise history with at least 13 games played. 'We need to score more. We need to get more going,' manager Stephen Vogt said. 'We're all trying to be perfect right now, whether it's pitchers, position players, doesn't matter. Everybody's trying to be perfect. We need to relax. We need to just take a deep breath, take a step back and go play baseball.' Cleveland, which is on a four-game losing streak, begins a three-game series at the Chicago Cubs. At 40-42, they are 2 1/2 games out of a wild-card spot after being five games over .500 and in wild-card position on June 1. Last season, the Guardians won the AL Central and reached the AL Championship Series. The Guardians dropped five of six on its recent homestand and were shut out three times. They have scored runs in only two of the last 40 innings. They scored 72 runs during the month, the third-fewest they have scored in a June in franchise history. 'I think it's frustrating, but if we knew the answer, we would've done it two months ago,' outfielder Nolan Jones said. 'We have the arms to compete against anybody and have some guys who have been swinging it well and some guys like myself who haven't been contributing a ton.' José Ramírez is seventh in the American League with a .309 batting average, and leadoff hitter Steven Kwan is 11th at .295. The rest of the everyday lineup, though, doesn't have anyone batting above .250. The organization hoped catcher Bo Naylor would bounce back after batting only .201 last season, but that hasn't happened. Naylor has a .168 average and mired in a 1 for 31 slump since June 10. Outfielders Lane Thomas and David Fry — the heroes of last year's AL Division Series victory over Detroit — also have struggled with injuries and slow starts at the plate. Fry missed the first two months after undergoing offseason elbow surgery and is 6 for 43 with 21 strikeouts since returning. Thomas — who had stints on the IL because of wrist and foot injuries — is batting .168 but is 6 for 24 in his last seven games. The lack of offense is not surprising, as it was a potential concern during spring training. The Guardians go into July with a .226 team average, second-lowest in the majors. Despite the offensive struggles, the Guardians continue to get solid pitching. The staff had a 3.79 ERA in June, which was eighth-lowest in the majors. Shane Bieber was hoping to be back by the All-Star break after having Tommy John surgery on his right elbow last April, but his comeback is delayed by elbow soreness. Chris Antonetti, Cleveland's president of baseball operations, did credit Naylor as one reason for the pitching staff's solid month. 'The pitching staff has not wavered, and the fact that he's been able to help and he's been a big part of that group making progress over the last couple months and separate his offense out from that, it's a great credit to him,' Antonetti said. Whether help is on the way through the minors or other moves leading up to the July 31 MLB trade deadline is something to keep an eye on. Outfielder Chase DeLauter is batting .305 in Triple-A Columbus with a 26-game on-base streak, while first baseman/outfielder C.J. Kayfus has 10 home runs and a .303 average. The biggest concern with DeLauter remains injuries. He was contending for a roster spot during spring training before having surgery in March to address a sports hernia injury. 'We're constantly thinking about, 'How do we find that right mix of guys to give us the best chance to compete each night at the major league level.' And we do believe that we will get reinforcements and support from some players that are not yet at the major league level,' Antonetti said. 'I think as we look forward, the results will be better from here than they've been over the last month. I don't think the last month is indicative of the potential of the guys that are on the roster.' After a difficult June, the schedule doesn't get any easier for the Guardians. After the Cubs series, they host AL Central leader Detroit for three games before a seven-game road trip to Houston and the Chicago White Sox ahead of the All-Star break. 'We've got 13 games in a row coming up after this off-day. We have an opportunity to get it rolling, and that's the way I look at it,' Vogt said. 'This is a really talented team. I believe in each and every one of these guys, and I know we're going to break out of it.'
San Francisco Chronicle
30-06-2025
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
Guardians look to rebound before All-Star break after one of worst offensive months in team history
CLEVELAND (AP) — To say June was a bad month for the Cleveland Guardians would be an understatement. One of the worst offensive months in team history would be more like it. The Guardians went 9-15 in June and had a .206 batting average, which is tied for the third-worst batting month in franchise history with at least 13 games played. 'We need to score more. We need to get more going,' manager Stephen Vogt said. 'We're all trying to be perfect right now, whether it's pitchers, position players, doesn't matter. Everybody's trying to be perfect. We need to relax. We need to just take a deep breath, take a step back and go play baseball.' Cleveland, which is on a four-game losing streak, begins a three-game series at the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday. At 40-42, they are 2 1/2 games out of a wild-card spot after being five games over .500 and in wild-card position on June 1. Last season, the Guardians won the AL Central and reached the AL Championship Series. The Guardians dropped five of six on its recent homestand and were shut out three times. They have scored runs in only two of the last 40 innings. They scored 72 runs during the month, the third-fewest they have scored in a June in franchise history. 'I think it's frustrating, but if we knew the answer, we would've done it two months ago,' outfielder Nolan Jones said. 'We have the arms to compete against anybody and have some guys who have been swinging it well and some guys like myself who haven't been contributing a ton.' José Ramírez is seventh in the American League with a .309 batting average, and leadoff hitter Steven Kwan is 11th at .295. The rest of the everyday lineup, though, doesn't have anyone batting above .250. The organization hoped catcher Bo Naylor would bounce back after batting only .201 last season, but that hasn't happened. Naylor has a .168 average and mired in a 1 for 31 slump since June 10. Outfielders Lane Thomas and David Fry — the heroes of last year's AL Division Series victory over Detroit — have also struggled with injuries and slow starts at the plate. Fry missed the first two months after undergoing offseason elbow surgery and is 6 for 43 with 21 strikeouts since returning. Thomas — who had stints on the IL because of wrist and foot injuries — is batting .168 but is 6 for 24 in his last seven games. The lack of offense is not surprising, as it was a potential concern during spring training. The Guardians go into July with a .226 team average, second-lowest in the majors. Despite the offensive struggles, the Guardians continue to get solid pitching. The staff had a 3.79 ERA in June, which was eighth-lowest in the majors. Shane Bieber was hoping to be back by the All-Star break after having Tommy John surgery on his right elbow last April, but his comeback is delayed by elbow soreness. Chris Antonetti, Cleveland's president of baseball operations, did credit Naylor as one reason for the pitching staff's solid month. 'The pitching staff has not wavered, and the fact that he's been able to help and he's been a big part of that group making progress over the last couple months and separate his offense out from that, it's a great credit to him,' Antonetti said. Whether help is on the way through the minors or other moves leading up to the July 31 MLB trade deadline is something to keep an eye on. Outfielder Chase DeLauter is batting .305 in Triple-A Columbus with a 26-game on-base streak, while first baseman/outfielder C.J. Kayfus has 10 home runs and a .303 average. The biggest concern with DeLauter remains injuries. He was contending for a roster spot during spring training before having surgery in March to address a sports hernia injury. 'We're constantly thinking about, 'How do we find that right mix of guys to give us the best chance to compete each night at the major league level.' And we do believe that we will get reinforcements and support from some players that are not yet at the major league level,' Antonetti said. 'I think as we look forward, the results will be better from here than they've been over the last month. I don't think the last month is indicative of the potential of the guys that are on the roster.' After a difficult June, the schedule doesn't get any easier for the Guardians. After the Cubs series, they host AL Central leader Detroit for three games before a seven-game road trip to Houston and the Chicago White Sox ahead of the All-Star break. 'We've got 13 games in a row coming up after this off-day. We have an opportunity to get it rolling, and that's the way I look at it,' Vogt said. 'This is a really talented team. I believe in each and every one of these guys, and I know we're going to break out of it.'
