The Cleveland Guardians need their star closer to get back to his former self.
Emmanuel Clase has gotten off to a dreadful start to the season, and while it’s still early in the campaign, there are reasons to be alarmed.
At least, that’s how Adam ‘The Bull’ Gerstenhaber feels.
Talking on the “Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show,” Gerstenhaber pointed out that Clase has already given up as many earned runs this season as he did all of last season.
The 27-year-old knows he lived up to the expectations this season, recently admitting that he ‘wasn’t perfect and was allowed to make mistakes.’
However, this has been a worrisome trend.
He’s 2-0 with a save, but he’s given up 14 hits and six runs in seven appearances this season.
He allowed four consecutive singles on Saturday night, and while the Guardians still beat the Kansas City Royals, he’s not as dominant as he was last season.
Clase was the best reliever in baseball last year.
He gave up just five earned runs in 74 games and 74.1 frames, leading the American League in saves (47) for the third consecutive year, and posted the third-lowest ERA in MLB history at just 0.61.
Then, he struggled in the playoffs, and it seems like he hasn’t been able to recover from that slump.
From a three-run homer to Kerry Carpenter in the Division Series to his miscues vs. Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton in the ALCS, it’s all been downhill for him.
He finished the series with a 15.43 ERA in three games vs. the Yankees, and he looks more like that player than he did in the previous six months.
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