Friday definitely wasn’t a good day for the Cleveland Guardians’ pitching staff and defense. They committed two errors and surrendered nine runs against the Kansas City Royals. Fortunately, the offense picked them up with 12 runs, nine hits, and a whopping 13 walks in what turned out to be a win.
Starting pitcher Gavin Williams didn’t have a good game, and Tim Herrin, Hunter Gaddis, and Matt Festa all allowed runs, too. A couple of guys, namely Daniel Espino, Shawn Armstrong, and Erik Sabrowski, did manage to pitch scoreless outings.
For Espino in particular, it meant something big. It was the first time this year he pitched in consecutive games. For a reliever who used to be a starter and has the injury issues he has had in the past, that’s a huge development.
With the playoffs around the corner, having Espino used to the daily wear and tear of being a regular reliever instead of being managed with kid gloves represents fantastic news for manager Stephen Vogt. Additionally, he is starting to heat up on the mound, too.
“Cleveland Guardians RHP Daniel Espino tossed a scoreless 6th inning of relief tonight, retiring the Royals in order, including a strikeout of Bobby Witt Jr. to end the inning. Line: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO (13 pitches, 9 strikes),” Guardians Prospective said.
Cleveland #Guardians RHP Daniel Espino tossed a scoreless 6th inning or relief tonight retiring the Royals in order including a strikeout of Bobby Witt Jr. to end the inning.
Line – 1.0(IP) 0H 0R 0ER 0BB 1SO
(13 Pitches 9 Strikes)#GuardsBall pic.twitter.com/woC1lKAurg
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) September 26, 2026
It’s the second straight scoreless outing for the flamethrower, who can routinely touch 100 mph despite multiple shoulder surgeries and a myriad of other injuries through the years. He now has a 4.11 ERA at the MLB level in 2026, in 15.1 innings.
His 3.75 FIP and 2.68 expected FIP (xFIP) are even better and paint the picture of a slightly inconsistent, but supremely talented pitcher with the strikeout power to make a difference in the postseason. Espino’s main goal in October should be throwing strikes, because good things happen when that’s the case.
If he can fill the strike zone and trust his incredible stuff, Espino could be a difference-maker for the Guardians starting next week. He has struck out 25 batters in those 15.1 innings, so opposing batters know what they will be dealing with.
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