The Cleveland Guardians are slowly but steadily becoming a clutch team.
They’re thriving down the stretch, and that’s usually a sign of a good team.
As pointed out by Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com, they scored 24 of their 26 runs in the series vs. the Washington Nationals after the fifth inning.
That included a six-run sixth inning on Tuesday and an eight-run sixth inning on Wednesday.
Overall, they scored 80% of their runs (31 of 39) after the fifth inning in their road trip against the Toronto Blue Jays and the Washington Nationals.
With that in mind, Hoynes believes their late-inning success can be tied to their bullpen:
“One reason for the Guardians’ success in the late innings could be tied to their bullpen,” Hoynes wrote. “The Cleveland pen has the best record in the AL at 12-3 with a 3.83 ERA. For the most part, they have controlled the opposition’s offense in the late going, while giving their own hitters a chance to work.”
The Guardians have scored more than half of their runs down the stretch, and they’ve outscored the opposition by nearly ten runs (83 to 74) after the fifth inning.
Through 37 games this season, the Guardians have scored 53% (83 for 157) of their runs following the completion of the fifth inning. They have outscored the competition, 83-74, in those innings.
This team entered the season with some major concerns about their power – or lack thereof – but they’ve been great at baserunning and making the most of every chance they’ve gotten to put up runs on the scoreboard.
Needless to say, going against one of the worst bullpens in the league can also help tweak the numbers a little bit, and context matters.
Then again, it’s good to be in that kind of position early in the season, as it prepares the team to face adversity and thrive when it matters the most.
NEXT: Insider Reveals Major Concern About Guardians' Rotation
