Detroit — The Cleveland Guardians have walked 11 times in the first two games of this series. Five of those walks turned into runs.
It’s part of what they do. Their 11.6% walk rate is second highest in the American League and third highest in baseball.
The walks-to-runs ratio is a killer, but there’s some collateral damage that comes with those walks, too, as the Tigers have experienced first-hand.
“We are walking guys at a high level and the at-bats after those walks magnify,” Tigers manager AJ Hinch said. “There’s smaller room for error. You move the batting order where all of a sudden here comes the top of their order again.”
On Monday, lefties Framber Valdez (four) and Brant Hurter (two) walked six and it rolled the Guardians’ order three times after the fifth inning. No. 7 hitter Steven Kwan walked three times and No. 9 hitter Brayan Rocchio walked twice.
And the top two hitters, Angel Martinez and Jose Ramirez went a combined 5 for 9 with four RBIs.
On Tuesday, Keider Montero’s outing was shortened to five innings because of four walks.
“They chased him because of where they got to in their batting order,” Hinch said. “If you take three, four or five hitters back, maybe he gets to stay in the game and he’s not going through the same pocket of hitters that did damage against him each time through.
“Not only did they score, they pushed the opportunity forward to the better part of their order.”
In this case, it was a left-handed pocket of hitters that did the damage against Montero — Kyle Manzardo, Travis Bazzana and Kwan.
Hinch went to lefty Tyler Holton in the sixth. After a quick and clean inning, Kwan led off the seventh with a long fly ball to the wall in right. Wenceel Perez got to the wall, leaped and got his glove on the ball. He brought it back but couldn’t catch it.
After the double, Kwan was bunted to third and scored what ended up being the winning run on a ground out.
“We did give ourselves a chance but it doesn’t feel good coming out of the game with another loss,” Hinch said. “And the walks, everything they did, a walk was involved.”
On the flip side, the Tigers drew six walks themselves on Tuesday but could cash in only one.
“They made the most of their opportunities and we didn’t,” Hinch said.
The game ended, frustratingly, with the two on and the Tigers’ hottest hitter Riley Greene on deck. Which was a result of their inability to win favorable matchups throughout the game.
For example, the presence of left-handed hitters Colt Keith and Zach McKinstry allowed for right-handed hitter Jahmai Jones to get an extra at-bat against lefty starter Parker Messick with a runner on and one out in the fifth.
Jones lined into a double play.
Jones was thus still in the game in the eighth and drew a leadoff walk against lefty reliever Tim Herrin. Herrin, with one out, hit Greene in the back setting up a decision point for Guardians’ manager Stephen Vogt.
Right-handed hitter Spencer Torkelson was coming up. He’d hit a home run back in the second inning off Messick. Vogt summoned right-handed pitcher Hunter Gaddis and Hinch countered with Keith.
“I know Tork hit the homer, which was awesome to see on a ball in,” Hinch said. “He’s just really had a hard time with balls away and that’s exactly what Gaddis is going to do. So if I have a chance with Colt, you have to take your shot.
“I even think they managed against Colt earlier in the game, giving Jahmai the extra left-handed at-bat. We were going to get that matchup either way, if I hit for Jahmai, and if not then, for Tork.”
The big hit didn’t come. Keith grounded into a fielder’s choice and McKinstry, pinch-hitting for Hao-Yu Lee, also grounded out.
“You’ve watched us these last few years, specifically over the last few weeks,” Hinch said. “I’m not going to give away any matchup I can get trying to win on the margins. They won on the margins tonight.”
The downside to going for it in the eighth was Hinch had no levers to pull in the ninth. He’d used all three left-handed bench bats, Keith, McKinstry and Gage Workman. That left both Jones and Dillon Dingler to face right-handed closer Cade Smith with the tying run at second base.
Both struck out, leaving Greene on the on-deck circle.
Guardians at Tigers
First pitch: 1:10 p.m. Thursday, Comerica Park, Detroit
TV/radio: Detroit Sports Net/97.1, 107.9 FM
Scouting report
LHP Joey Cantillo (3-1, 3.40), Guardians: The 26-year-old Hawaiian stands 6-4 and has an extension of 7-feet-2 inches on his four-seamer, which makes it play up more than the 91-92 mph velocity would indicate. Right-handed hitters do most of the damage against him (.356 on-base, .417 slug, .773 OPS). He’s got good weapons for righties (changeup and curveball) but his command hasn’t been consistent, as evidenced by a 11.4% walk rate. This will be just his third game against the Tigers and second start (six innings, one run, four hits).
RHP Casey Mize (2-2, 2.43), Tigers: He’s been dominating left-handed hitters this season (.143/.202/.169), which is a good trend to take into a start against the lefty-heavy Guardians. His last start, his first coming off the IL (groin), was a beauty. He blanked the Blue Jays on two hits over six innings, and did so in an economical 71 pitches. Last season he was 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA in three starts against the Guardians.
Chris.McCosky@detroitnews.com
@cmccosky
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Tigers feel direct and collateral damage of walking Guardians hitters
Reporting by Chris McCosky, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
