The Cleveland Guardians suffered their second loss of the season on Monday, failing to beat the San Diego Padres at PETCO Park and losing 7-2.
Starting pitcher Luis L. Ortiz was mediocre, conceding all seven runs in 4.2 frames, but he wasn’t the only culprit.
Jonathan Peterlin and Nick Wilson of 92.3 The Fan pointed their fingers at manager Stephen Vogt for one curious decision: sitting designated hitter Kyle Manzardo.
On Monday, he opted to give the start to young slugger Johnathan Rodriguez, who is good against left-handed pitching (the Padres sent southpaw Kyle Hart to the mound.)
The theory states that Rodriguez, if he’s up, can and should get some starts against lefties because Manzardo is a lefty hitter and more effective against righties.
That was the case until he struggled badly in the bigs last year, got demoted, and then something clicked along the way.
When he returned to the majors for the stretch run, he was no longer a liability against lefties.
In fact, most of the damage he inflicted in the first four games this year has come against pitchers of his own hand.
“Someone like Manzardo, who spent the weekend destroying lefties…then you sit him against the left-hander yesterday. I was like, ‘am I taking crazy pills?” ➡️@JPeterlin & @NickWilsonSays didn’t understand #Guardians Stephen Vogt’s move,” 92.3 The Fan posted on X.
"Someone like Manzardo, who spent the weekend destroying lefties…then you sit him against the left-hander yesterday. I was like, 'am I taking crazy pills?''
➡️@JPeterlin & @NickWilsonSays didn't understand #Guardians Stephen Vogt's move ⚾⤵️
🔊 Listen: https://t.co/KzBIBte7qd pic.twitter.com/iNHQ8Akxdp
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) April 1, 2025
Manzardo has four extra-base hits: a double, a triple, and two home runs, with six RBI and a .385 batting average in the young season.
If you want to give him a boost of confidence, starting him on Monday would have been the right move.
He entered the game later and was 0-for-2.
In any case, he should be back in the lineup for Tuesday’s affair against righty Michael King.
NEXT: Guardians Analyst Advises Patience With Struggling Starter
