The Cleveland Guardians couldn’t keep the momentum going and lost 5-3 on Saturday afternoon at Rogers Centre, at the hands of the reigning American League champions: the Toronto Blue Jays. They had won the opener on Friday.
The game was actually closely contested throughout, with the Guardians scoring first and both teams reaching the bottom of the sixth tied at one run apiece. That’s when two small, but painful blips cost Joey Cantillo, Cleveland’s starting pitcher, the game.
Cantillo pitched five frames of just one run, but opened the sixth frame by allowing consecutive singles to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Kazuma Okamoto. Matt Festa would enter and concede both runs plus one of his own, and just like that, a 1-1 game turned into a 4-1 deficit.
Cantillo’s outing ended with five innings, six hits, three runs, and one walk. He added four strikeouts, and his ERA now stands at 3.56.
He felt good on the mound and didn’t have a bad outing. He knows, however, that it could have been better.
“Solid, I think, overall. Obviously, there were a couple of pitches here and there, maybe a few pitches and some at-bats that, you know, I could have done a better job of, but that’s part of it. Just got to learn from it, and then move on to the next one,” he said, per team insider Mason Horodyski.
He didn’t hide the fact that the loss, and especially that sixth inning, stings a bit.
“I think overall, until that 6th inning, we were in a good spot. You know, the guys were battling overall. So just one of those that maybe stings a little bit, but we got to learn from it and get better,” he explained.
#Guardians Joey Cantillo breaks down how he felt in his start vs. Toronto:
"Solid I think overall. Obviously, there were a couple pitches here and there maybe a few pitches and some at bats that, you know, I could have done a better job of, but that's part of it. Just got to… https://t.co/FHs38v2mx4— Mason Horodyski (@MasonHorodyski) April 25, 2026
Cantillo had been one of the most consistent members of the Guardians rotation heading into Saturday’s action. That’s still the case, in fact. It was just one of those innings in which he paid a hefty price for a couple of mistakes.
He had been so good that Saturday’s defeat represents his first of the season. He looks ready to have a true breakout season in a full-time starting role, and there’s nothing that would make the Guardians happier.
NEXT: Guardians' Comeback Bid Falls Short In Toronto
