Guardians Superstar Speaks Out About Major Struggles

Emmanuel Clase, the superstar closer for the Cleveland Guardians, spoke out about his major struggles.

Oct 18, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians pitcher Emmanuel Clase (48) reacts in the ninth inning against the New York Yankees during game four of the ALCS for the 2024 MLB playoffs at Progressive Field. / David Dermer-Imagn Images

Emmanuel Clase was one of the biggest reasons that many thought the Cleveland Guardians had a chance to upset the New York Yankees in the ALCS. Instead, he has been one of the main reasons that the Guardians are down 3-1 in the series and facing elimination.

Throughout the first four games of the series, Clase has pitched in two games.

His first appearance of the series yeilded 0.1 innings of work, giving up three hits, two earned runs, and two home runs. Last night, he completed 1.0 innings, giving up three hits, two earned runs, a walk, and a strikeout.

Needless to say, the struggles have been completely out of character for him. No one would have seen this kind of negative performance coming from him.

With all of that being said, Clase spoke out amid the struggles he is going through. The Cleveland superstar is surprised by it, but has not allowed himself to lose confidence.

"I just haven't been executing. I'm failing against the hitters, and I haven't had the results," Clase said.

He continued on, making it clear that his confidence isn't wavering even those he's surprised by his poor pitching.

"I'm not losing my confidence," Clase said. "I'm going to give my best. It's something that I'm surprised about, what's happening."

All season long, Clase was elite. In fact, he's being talked about as a potential Cy Young winner as a closer. That alone shows just how dominant he was.

In his 74 regular season appearances, Clase recorded a 4-2 record to go along with a 0.61 ERA, a 0.66 WHIP, a 6.6 K/BB ratio, 47 saves, and just three blown saves. Those numbers show just how big of a surprise this ALCS struggle has been.

While the Guardians are down to their final chance, they are still alive. It's rare for a team to come back from a 3-1 series deficit, but Cleveland isn't giving up just yet.

Hopefully, Clase and company will be able to pick up a win tonight at home to extend the series. It won't be easy, but the entire season hasn't been easy and they have the talent to win three games in a row.