The Cleveland Guardians needed until the very last out to secure a big win on Sunday.
Just one day after a ninth-inning grand slam to beat the Toronto Blue Jays, Emmanuel Clase took the mound to make sure the Guardians left Rogers Centre with a tight win.
Clase was coming off two strong performances after his bizarre struggles to start the season.
Unfortunately for him, he didn’t get off to a strong start.
He fumbled a chopped ball from Andrés Giménez and rushed his throw to first, and his error helped the former Guardian reach second safely.
The Guardians held a two-run lead at the time.
Then, Bo Bichette put the tying run on the field before Vladimir Guerrero Jr. drove in one run with a sacrifice fly.
Eventually, Clase struck out George Springer for the final out, and manager Stephen Vogt praised him for being unfazed by the pressure:
“Emmanuel doesn’t get shaken,” Vogt said. “He doesn‘t get rattled. There’s no one else on the planet we would’ve rather had out on the mound.”
Clase entered Sunday’s contest with a 6.28 ERA and two blown saves.
It wasn’t pretty, but he managed to escape with his seventh save of the season.
The Guardians needed a strong effort from their bullpen after losing starter Tanner Bibee due to cramps in both legs.
He tossed five strong innings before Vogt had to turn to his quartet of most trusted relievers: Tim Herrin, Cade Smith, Hunter Gaddis, and Clase.
They desperately need Clase to return to his dominant form, and while his last outing clearly wasn’t perfect, it was most definitely another big step in the right direction for him.
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