CLEVELAND GUARDIANS NOTES:
GUARDS FALL IN EXTRAS, DROP SERIES FINALE
After outscoring Kansas City by a 16-2 margin to win each of the first 2 tilts of the series, the Cleveland Guardians shouldered a frustrating 10-inning, 4-3 loss to the Royals in Thursday afternoon’s finale at Kauffman Stadium…Cleveland moved to 6-6 in extra-innings this season…coming off a 4-2 homestand, the Guardians are 2-1 half-way through this 6-game road trip thru Kansas City (2-1) & Chicago-NL (3 games)…with a series victory over KC, the Guards are 6-3-1 over their last 10 series.
Cleveland entered the bottom of the 8th holding a 2-0 advantage, as SHANE BIEBER turned in 6.0 scoreless frames (6.0IP, 2H, 0R, BB, 8SO, 81 pitches) ahead of a spotless 7th from ENYEL DE LOS SANTOS…Bieber permitted just a pair of hits, both lead-off doubles to start the 2nd and 3rd frames, respectively…went on to retire 11 of final 12 he faced with exception of a 2-out walk in the 4th… Cleveland rallied for a pair of runs off Zack Greinke (6.0IP, 11H, 2RER, 2BB, WP, 82 pitches) in the 5th to break a scoreless deadlock, as STEVEN KWAN singled to begin the inning before scoring on a JOSÉ RAMÍREZ sac fly; JOSH NAYLOR then doubled and cored on JOSH BELL’s RBI-single…the Royals leveraged a one-out walk, a pair of singles and a sac fly to knot the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the 8th against TREVOR STEPHAN…the contest was ultimately decided in the 10th, as a Ramírez steal of home plate in the top half of the frame was nullified by a walk-off 2-run double from Freddy
Fermin against EMMANUEL CLASE in the bottom half.
Cleveland (39-41) sits in 2nd place in the AL Central standings, mere winning pct. points behind 1st-place Minnesota (40-42) and 4.0 games ahead of 3rd-place Detroit (35-45)…Guardians have won 7 of 10, 14 of 23 and 17 of last 29, though have also dropped 35 of last 65 overall since starting the year 9-6.
WINDY CITY WEEKEND
Cleveland and Chicago-NL are set to face off for the first and only time this season…the clubs last met in 2021 for a pair of two-game series…Cleveland swept the home series with 3-2 and 2-1 victories on May 11-12, 2021, then the two sides split in Chicago on June 21-22, 2021 with Cleveland taking the opener 4-1 and Chicago-NL taking the finale 7-1.
Since Interleague play began in 1997, the teams have met in regular season play in 9 different seasons with the Guardians holding a 5-3-1 season series lead…Cleveland and Chicago-NL hold identical 15-15 records against one another since 1997…the Guards are 6-7 all-time at Wrigley Field in regular season play,
going 4-4 since 2015…the two clubs also squared off in the 2016 World Series with the Cubs winning a decisive Game 7 to claim their first championship since 1908.
WHOSE NAME STARTS WITH A J AND LOVES TO HIT?
JOSÉ RAMÍREZ has hit safely in 18 of his last 20 games and 19 of 24 games this month…in June, he’s hitting .340 (33-for-97) with 7 home runs, 23 RBI, 22 runs, 14 extra-base hits and only 10 strikeouts…Ramírez is the only MLB player with 20+ RBI and 10-or- fewer strikeouts this month…since June 7, Ramírez ranks among MLB hitters in batting average (.408, 2nd), RBI (22, 2nd), OPS (1.275, 2nd), SLG (.803, 2nd), total bases (61, 2nd), OBP (.472, 3rd), runs (20, T3rd), hits (31, 4th), home runs (7, 4th) and extrabase hits (14, T5th)…in 2023, he leads primary third basemen in hits (89), total bases (157), batting average (.298) and OPS (.892),
and is T1st with WSH’s Jeimer Candelario in extra-base hits (38).
Since May 30, JOSH NAYLOR has hit safely in 22 of 26 games, including multiple hits in 14 of those 22 contests…Naylor (.398, 43- for-108) ranks 2nd among MLB hitters in batting average during the stretch, only trailing MIA’s Luis Arraez (.418, 46-for-110)…he ranks among primary first basemen in RBI (58, 2nd) and batting
average (.296, 2nd)…he also leads MLB with 25 RBI in the 7thinning-or-later.
Naylor and Ramírez have combined for 110 of Cleveland’s 297 RBI this season, accounting for 37.03% of the Guardians run production…the 37.03% rate is the highest of any MLB combo of 2 teammates for their respective team, ahead of New York-NL’s Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor (31.14%).
JUMPING IN JUNE
Through 24 games in June, the Guards’ offense has improved compared to previous months (see table)…in June, the club ranks among AL/MLB teams in BABIP (.330, 1st in MLB), batting average (.283, 1st in AL/2nd in MLB) and hits (251, 2nd in AL/3rd in MLB)… the Guards also lead MLB with 15 double-digit hit games in June, ahead of Atlanta and Texas (14).
CLEVELAND SPLITS BY MONTH, 2023 MONTH G AVG H OPS HR R/GM
April 26 .231 203 .669 17 3.81
May 27 .233 206 .641 16 3.41
June 25 .283 251 .764 20 4.84
THE GUARDIAC KIDS
The Guardians lead MLB with 35 one-run games out of their 80 games played this season, owning a 16-19 (.457) record in such contests…Cleveland’s 35 one-run affairs are 3rd-most in club history through the first 80 games of a season, most since 1966 (20- 16, .556)…since the Wild Card Era began in 1995, the Guardians are tied with the 2018 Seattle Mariners and 2011 Minnesota Twins for the most one-run contests through 80 games in a single season.
The Guards also lead MLB this season with 50 games decided by 2-or-fewer runs, holding a 26-24 (.520) record…Cleveland’s 50 games decided by 2-or-fewer runs are T2nd-most in club history through 80 games of a season, most since 1943 (23-27, .449)… since the Wild Card Era began in 1995, the Guards are tied with the 2013 Arizona Diamondbacks and 2002 New York Mets for most contests decided by 2-or-fewer runs through 80 games in a season.
AFTER FURTHER REVIEW…
After an official scoring review by MLB, AMED ROSARIO has now been credited with a 5-for-5 performance on June 17 at Arizona…he was previously listed as 4-for-5, having reached base via error in the 7th inning…this gives Rosario his third career 5-hit game…he is the second MLB player this season with 5-or-more singles in a 5-for-5-or-better performance, joining Luis Arraez… Rosario is the first Guardians hitter with a 5-for-5 game since STEVEN KWAN on April 10, 2022 at Kansas City…he is also the first Clevelander to go 5-for-5-or-better with all singles since Julio Franco on July 9, 1986 at Chicago-AL.
TODAY’S STARTER – 47 CAL QUANTRILL RHP
QUANTRILL ON THE ROAD
W-L ERA G GS IP H R ER BB SO
2023 1-1 5.29 6 6 34.0 38 21 20 8 21
Career 12-14 4.17 57 35 229.0 238 122 106 69 180
QUANTRILL’S MLB CAREER
W-L ERA G GS IP H R ER BB SO
2023 2-4 5.61 11 11 59.1 64 38 37 20 34
Career 33-20 3.77 124 86 530.1 508 244 222 150 403
TODAY’S START
The 28-year-old right-hander is returning from a stint on the Injured List to make his 12th start of the season, 7th on the road, in the opener of this 3-game series with the Chicago Cubs… missed 24 games due to right shoulder inflammation, the most time he’s missed due to injury in his career…worked 5.0 shutout innings, allowing 3 hits with 3 strikeouts and one walk in his sole rehabilitation start at Double-A Akron on June 25.
Has made 5 quality starts in 11 outings this season, however, he is seeking his first quality start since May 13 against Los Angeles-AL (6.0IP, 6H, 3R/ER, 1HR, 3BB, 2SO)…looking for his first win since May 7 against Minnesota, working 7.0 shutout innings on one hit with 4 punchouts and 3 walks in that outing.
LAST TIME OUT
Quantrill surrendered a career-high tying 8 runs (earned) on 8 hits with 3 strikeouts and 2 walks in his 4th loss of the campaign on May 30 at Baltimore…Gunnar Henderson gave Baltimore a 2-0 lead in the 1st frame with a 2-run double…the Orioles would extend their lead to 7-0 in the 2nd inning with a bases-loaded walk from Adley Rutschman, a 3-run triple from Anthony Santander and an Austin Hays sacrifice fly…he retired the side in order in the 3rd and 4th frames, but his day ended after an RBI-single from Gunnar Henderson with one out in the 5th.
IF YOU DON’T KNOW BY NOW, I’M TALKING BOUT CHI-TOWN
This will be his 5th career appearance, second start, against Chicago-NL, owning a 1-1 record with a 6.00 ERA (8ER/12.0IP) against the Cubs…allowed 8 earned runs on 10 hits, both career-highs, over 4.1 innings against Chicago-NL in his only start against the club on September 19, 2019 while he was with San Diego… has thrown 7.2 shutout innings of relief against the Cubs, including a 5.2-inning shutout performance on July 21, 2019, his last win against the NL Central…in 17 appearances (7 starts) against the NL Central he is 2-3 with a 3.46 ERA (21ER/54.2IP)…faced the division once in 2022, twirling 7.0 innings of one-run ball with 5 strikeouts and no walks against the Reds at May 19 against Cincinnati.
Has made 3 Interleague starts this season, owning an 0-1 record with a 6.60 ERA (11ER/15.0IP)…in his most recent Interleague outing on May 19 at New York-NL, he worked 5.2 innings, allowing 3 earned runs on 6 hits with 6 strikeouts and 0 walks…fashions a 3-2 record with a 3.81 ERA (37ER/87.1IP) in 25 Interleague appearances (14 starts).
CONSISTENT CAL: THE ROAD WARRIOR
In Quantrill’s last 27 starts, dating back to July 11, 2022, he has a 13-4 (.765) record, ranking 3rd in win percentage among all MLB pitchers behind Arizona’s Zac Gallen (18-4, .818) and San Diego’s Michael Wacha (12-3, .800)…as a club, Cleveland has won 22 of Quantrill’s last 28 starts…since starting 2022 with a 1-5 record in his first 7 road tilts, including 5 straight losses, Quantrill turned things around and won 6 consecutive decisions before suffering his first road defeat since July 5, 2022 in his previous outing at Baltimore.
Since July 22, 2022, Quantrill has a 6-1 record with a 3.76 ERA (29ER/69.1IP), along with 53 strikeouts and 16 walks in his 12 road starts during that span…Quantrill’s .875 win percentage in road starts since July 22, 2022 ranks T2nd in MLB with Seattle’s Logan Gilbert (6-1, .857) and trails Texas’ Nathan Eovaldi (7-1, .875)… Quantrill has a 6.88 RSA on the road since July 22, 2022, ranking 8th among all MLB pitchers with 10-or-more road starts during that time frame.
CHICAGO CUBS NOTES:
Cubs vs. Guardians
The Cubs and Guardians square off against each other for the first time since 2021 this weekend … Cleveland took the four-game series in 2021, 3-1, sweeping a two-game set in Cleveland and splitting two games at Wrigley Field … this three-game set marks the only time the clubs will see each other in 2023.
READY TO ROCK AND ROLL: The Chicago Cubs today aim to snap a four-game skid in game one of a three-game set against the Cleveland Guardians … Chicago last night dropped a 3-1 contest at the hands of the Phillies and were swept by Philadelphia in a three-game series at Wrigley Field for the first time since July 24-26, 2015 … Jared Young provided the lone run for the Cubs with a second-inning RBI-triple.
This is the fourth contest (0-3) of 13-straight gamedays leading into the All-Star break … the Cubs host Cleveland for three games starting today, before the team departs on a seven-game trip with four contests at the Brewers and three at the Yankees.
This four-game skid follows a four-game winning streak, and is the Cubs’ longest losing streak since a four-game skid on the west coast at San Diego (0-1) and Anaheim (0-3) June 5-8.
Despite dropping their last four contests, the Cubs are 11-6 in their last 17 games since June 9 and find themselves 5.0-games back of the N.L. Central Division-leading Reds (43-38) … Chicago was 7.5-games back following June 8’s loss at the Angels.
Chicago is three-games over .500 (15-12) in its last 27 games starting May 29.
The Cubs are the only N.L. Central Division club with a positive run differential (+23) … Pittsburgh is at -32, St. Louis -31, Milwaukee -21 and Cincinnati -16. MAN OF STEELE: Today’s starting pitcher, Justin Steele, is 2-0 with a 2.45 ERA (3 ER/11.0 IP) in his two starts since being activated from the injured list June 17 (left forearm strain) … overall this season, Steele’s 2.62 ERA (23 ER/79.0 IP) is the fourth-lowest among qualified N.L. pitchers.
In his last 21 starts since July 22, 2022, Steele’s 2.10 ERA (27 ER/115.2 IP) is the lowest in the major leauges (min. 21 GS) … he has allowed three runs or fewer in 18 of those outings.
OBSERVATIONS OF THE OFFENSIVE VARIETY: Jared Young, who hit his first major career league home run on Tuesday, recorded an RBI triple last night, becoming the first Cub since Nico Hoerner in 2019 to record a home run and a triple within his first eight career games … between Triple-A Iowa and the Cubs, Young is batting .455 (15- for-33) with two triples, five homers and 15 RBI in his last nine games since June 18.
Cubs hitters have coaxed at least one walk in each of the team’s last 55 games since April 28 … the last time Chicago had a longer such streak was a 106-
game run that spanned from July 22, 2019-Sept. 8, 2020.
Cody Bellinger has hit safely five-straight games since June 24, batting .353 (6-for-17) with a double and a walk.
Nick Madrigal had his 15-game on-base streak snapped last night, but since June 11, is hitting .364 (16-for-44) with four doubles, six runs scored, five RBI and a .440 on-base percentage … his season average has gone up 40 points in his last 13 contests, from .235 to his current .275 mark.
INTERLEAGUE INTERLUDE: The Cubs are 12-12 against the American League this season, having started out 8-2 in the first 10 games through May 12 in Minnesota before dropping 10 of their next 14 … Chicago this weekend will face Cleveland for the first time since 2021, when the Cubs dropped three of four games to the Guardians.
NICO AT THE DISH: Nico Hoerner is batting .306 (22-for-72) with five doubles, two triples, one homer, 14 RBI and three stolen bases in his last 17 games since June 9 … he’s hit safely in each of his last eight games, tying a career-high (also June 2022).
Hoerner leads the Cubs with 40 RBI this season, seventh-most among major league second basemen … the last time a primary second baseman finished the season leading the Cubs in RBI was in 2018 when Javier Baéz drove in 111 RBI.
HE’S A WINNER!: Dansby Swanson’s 3.0 WAR are the most among N.L. shortstops and tied for second among all shortstops (with Toronto’s Bo Bichette), according to Fangraphs … Tampa Bay’s Wander Franco has a 3.5 WAR to pace the position.
Swanson is hitting .292 (45-for-154) with a .359 OBP in 39 games at Wrigley Field … he has hit .261 (23-for-88) in June after batting .248 (28-for-113) in May … Swanson has hit .318 (21-for-66) with runners in scoring position along with a .923 OPS in that situation.
Chicago is one of two teams in the N.L. (also Dodgers) with at least two players with an average over .300 with RISP (Swanson – .318, Nico Hoerner – .338).
STARTING STUFF: Cubs starting pitchers have posted a 3.95 ERA (185 ER/421.0 IP) this season, the third-best mark among N.L. starting rotations and eighth-best in the majors … the rotation’s 50 home runs allowed is tied for the sixth-lowest total in the majors, while the 1.22 WHIP is eighth.
Marcus Stroman is second in the N.L. with a 2.47 ERA while Justin Steele’s 2.62 ERA ranks fourth.
Chicago has recieved 36 quality starts, tied for second-most in the N.L. and tied for seventh in baseball.
BULLPEN BITS: Adbert Alzolay has posted a 0.93 ERA (2 ER/19.1 IP) in his last 16 games since May 6, walking three, striking out 18 and posting a 0.78 WHIP … Michael Fulmer has allowed one earned run in his last 13 appearances since May 28, tossing 13.2 innings with a 0.95 WHIP (0.66 ERA).
Chicago’s bullpen has pitched to a 2.39 ERA (20 ER/75.1 IP) in June, the lowest ERA in the major leagues during the month.
Julian Merryweather since April 17 has pitched to a 0.94 ERA (3 ER/28.2 IP) with one win and allowed 22 hits and 14 walks with 42 strikeouts in 29 appearances … his 0.94 ERA ranks second in the N.L. and fourth in the majors (min. 25 G).
Starting Pitcher – #35 LHP Justin Steele (8-2, 2.62)
Last Time Out
Justin started the Cubs first game in London against the Cardinals, earning the win (1 ER/6.0 IP) … is 2-0 with a 2.45 ERA (3 ER/11.0 IP) in two starts since being activated from the injured list June 17 … has completed at least 6.0 innings in 10 of his 14 starts this season … tied his season-high with eight strikeouts.
Date Opp. Result IP H R ER BB SO PC-S Left
6/24 @STL W, 9-1 6.0 5 1 1 1 8 89-58 7-1
2023 Splits and Season Notes
W-L ERA G GS IP H R ER BB SO
Home 5-1 2.57 8 8 42.0 38 13 12 11 32
Road 3-1 2.68 6 6 37.0 28 13 11 7 38
AVG vs. LHB: .220 (13-for-59) / AVG vs. RHB: .230 (53-for-230)
Justin is scheduled to make his 15th start of the 2023 season today … has posted a 2.10 ERA (27 ER/115.2 IP) since July 22, 2022, which is the lowest ERA in the
majors during the run (min. 21 GS) … his 2.62 ERA in 2023 is the fourth-lowest among qualified N.L. pitchers … opposing batters are hitting .191 (18-for-94) with 30 strikeouts off his slider.
Started the Cubs’ first game in London, June 24 vs. St. Louis, earning the win (1 ER/6.0 IP).
Posted a 53.0-inning stretch without allowing a home run from April 14-June 17, which was the longest active streak in the majors.
Left his start May 31 vs. Tampa Bay after 3.0 perfect innings with left forearm tightness … was placed on the injured list June 3 (retroactive to June 1) and was activated June 17.
Had a 17-start streak of allowing three earned runs or fewer at Wrigley Field from April 24, 2022-May 10, 2023 … pitched to a 2.20 ERA (23 ER/94.0 IP) during the run … his 2.20 home ERA during the stretch was the third-lowest in the N.L.
Went eight starts before suffering his first loss of the season May 16 in Houston … allowed a season-high five runs in the outing … at the time of his first loss, was the only pitcher in the N.L. with at least six wins and zero losses.
Allowed two or fewer earned runs in 14-straight starts from July 22, 2022-May 5, 2023, tied for the second-longest stretch in Cubs franchise history (since 1901), behind Jack Taylor’s streak of 15 games June 13-Aug. 14, 1902 (tied with Jake Arrieta, 14 G, 7/30/15-4/4/16).
Went 1-1 with a 2.63 ERA (4 ER/13.2 IP) with 13 strikeouts in four Cactus League starts in 2023 … started and tossed the first 2.0 innings of the Cubs combined no-hitter, March 3 at San Diego.
