Thoughts For A Tuesday - Coming Home and Remembering The Diamondbacks

HEADED BACK TO CLEVELAND. WHAT TO EXPECT

 The Guardians come home after two games in New York that featured bad starting pitching, bad managing, bad defense and bad clutch hitting.  

Pretty much, they did nothing right.  It was discouraging to the diehard fan who no doubt hoped for a split and was really concerned about winning the series if we returned to Cleveland down 0-2.

Well, for those of us who fall in that category, I wanted to remind you of the 2023 NLCS.  

Arizona played heavily favored Philadelphia, as Philly was 90-72 during the regular season and Arizona squeaked in as the last wildcard team at 84-78 and Philly won the season series at 4-3 although the teams hadn't played since June.  

The first two games in Philly did nothing to change the perception of them being the dominant team as they won 5-3 and 10-0.   The teams then went to Arizona where the Diamondbacks won 2 very close games, 2-1 and 6-5, both late game comebacks, to tie the series.  In the last game in Arizona the Phillies won decisively, 6-1, meaning they only had to win one of two games when the series moved back to Philadelphia.  However, the Diamondbacks would win the last two, 5-1 and 4-2.  Paul Sewald, the Diamondbacks closer, had two saves and a win and pitched in 4 games.

The point here is that the Guardians' season is only over if they lose 2 games in Cleveland (duh!!!).  The Diamondbacks did it last year in EXACTLY the same position the Guardians are in right now. 

I don't know how this series will turn out but I have a good feeling about it.   I don't always have a good feeling about Guardians playoff series but I have a good feeling about this one.  

MY THOUGHTS: GAMES 1 and 2

As I said above, these two games were mismanaged by Vogt, misplayed on defense by Rocchio, Brennan, the Naylor boys and Hedges.  And none of our hitters hit in the clutch, especially in the winnable game 2.   

We can't cry over spilt milk but it would have really helped if:

• Fry could catch
• If our starters could show enough to give the manager the encouragement to leave them in for more than a few outs
• If our hitters like Brennan, Bo Naylor and Noel could find a way to imitate Brayan Rocchio
• If Ramirez and Naylor could become the clutch hitters we need them to be to win this series
• If our manager would make more obvious choices (Cantillo to start the 3rd inning instead of coming in with the bases loaded)

I think all these things can be fixed, in some way, except for Fry catching.

I think we find a way to win 2 of 3 or maybe even 3 of 3 in Cleveland and put the pressure back on the Yankees by carrying momentum into game 6.  Remember, it is the Yankees who haven't won a WS in 15 years.  The pressure should be on them and, if we play well, we can put it back on them.

I have faith...and this from a guy who predicted them to have a 61-101 record in 2024. 

I have faith...if we play and manage Guardsball.