Just One Pitch Costs Shane McClanahan, Rays in 2-1 Loss to Cleveland in Game 1
CLEVELAND, Ohio — A big reason why Tampa Bay pitcher Shane McClanahan is one of the best pitchers in baseball is that he has four nasty pitches and he's willing to throw all four at any time in a game, and in any situation.
His changeup, though, has been his wipe-out pitch most of the season. During the year, opposing batters hit just .145 against that pitch, and McClanahan allowed only one home run on a changeup all year.
But Cleveland third baseman Jose Ramirez is one of the best hitters in the game these days, and he just doesn't miss mistakes. He doesn't miss good pitches a lot of times, either.
But on Friday in Game 1 of the wild-card series between the Rays and the Cleveland, it was Ramirez who spoiled an incredible pitcher's duel between McClanahan and the Guardians' Shane Bieber. The two Shanes were dealing, and both of them only made one mistake. Bieber gave up a solo shot to Jose Siri in the top of the sixth, and McClanahan gave up a two-run shot to Ramirez in the bottom of the inning.
And that was the only different, something that slight. Ramirez, a straight pull hitter, waited on the changeup just long enough to rip it just over the wall in right center field. It was enough to give the Guardians a 2-1 victory and spoil what was otherwise a terrific day for the 25-year-old McClanahan.
"I felt good. I love postseason baseball, middle of October baseball,'' McClanahan said. "I felt like I threw the ball well today, but one pitch to a really good hitter and ultimately that the difference. One-run ball game, that's a bad pitch on my part, that's just the difference.
"Yeah, I do (think it's a bad pitch). I left it up. He's such a good hitter, you're not going to fool him with a bad pitch again in the same spot. I tip my hat to him, and Bieber threw a heck of a game. Yeah, I felt like I had really good command aside from a few sailed fast balls arm side and high and that one changeup, I felt like I could put it where I needed to, and that pitch is going to kill me for a little bit.''
The Guardians won the American League Central division title, but as the division winner with the worst record, they didn't get a bye like the Houston Astros and New York Yankees did. They were forced to play a best-of-three wild-card series with the Rays. Cleveland won the season series 4-2, but everyone expected this to be a battle, with a lot of low-scoring games.
The two Shanes, Bieber and McClanahan, were even better than advertised. The game was scoreless through five, with Bieber not allowing a hit until Harold Ramirez had a single in the top of the fifth.
McClanahan had to deal with a little more traffic on the basepaths, but he handled it all just fine. He gave up one-out singles in the first, second and fourth, but then got two straight outs in each inning to eliminate any threats. He needed only 53 pitches to get through the first five innings.
"Besides that one pitch (to Ramirez), I feel like I did a good job today minimizing the damage,'' McClanahan said. "If I gave up a one-out, no-out single or whatever you want to call it, I felt like I made the next pitch to help myself and help my team get out of it. I felt like I did a really good job today of attacking the zone and trusting my stuff.''
The only real action of the day happened in the sixth inning. Siri, the Rays' No. 9 hitter, drilled a Bieber fastball to right center for a solo home run that gave the Rays a 1-0 lead. It was Bieber's only mistake of the day. For Siri, who hit a home run off of Bieber two weeks ago, he said he was confident he could do something against Bieber, even though everyone else was struggling.
"I was just trying to keep a normal plan. I was trying to keep the barrel on the ball, trying to connect out in front,'' Siri said through interpreter Manny Navarro. "I know in the past I've hit an off-speed home run off him before, so I've been seeing him pretty well.
"Seeing him before definitely helps, definitely with the confidence. You can see what his pitches have done, and you recognize what it has done from the last time you've seen him.''
In the bottom of the inning, Amed Rosario hit a line drive just past Rays first baseman Ji-Man Choi, and it went out into right field for another one-out single. Ramirez was next, and McClanahan got ahead on a changeup that Ramirez watched. After he missed with a curveball, he went back to another changeup, but this time Ramirez was ready and hit it hard to right-center, where it barely cleared the wall.
Once the Guardians got ahead, it was basically over. Bieber retired the side in order in the seventh, striking out Arozarena and Harold Ramirez, and getting Choi to fly out to shallow center.
Jose Ramirez (right) celebrates his two-run home run with Amed Rosario in Cleveland's victory over Tampa Bay in Game 1 of their wild-card series (USA TODAY Sports)
He pitched into the eighth, getting the first two outs. After pinch-hitter Isaac Paredes singled to left, Cleveland manager Terry Francona came and got him. He left to a standing ovation from the loud Progressive Field crowd.
"To hear that, to feed off that energy, it was great" Bieber said of the adoring crowd. "It seemed like every time there were two strikes, they were willing a strikeout. And that felt great. It kind of helps me personally elevate my game. I don't suspect I'm the only one on our team that feels that."
Cleveland closer Emmanuel Clase took it from there, getting the last four outs. Clase, who had 42 saves in the regular season, hadn't gotten a four-out save all year.
The Rays, now on the brink of elimination, turn to Tyler Glasnow on Saturday to keep their season going. Still confident they can start hitting, the Rays feel good about their chances, especially with Glasnow on the mound. Since returning from Tommy John surgery, he's made two starts — including his first at Cleveland — and has allowed just one earned in 6 2/3 innings.
The Rays are keeping the faith.
"I believe in these guys a lot. I'd go to war with these guys on any day of the week,'' McClanahan said. "To be a part of something like this is really special for me. Postseason baseball's what you play for and the fact that I get to share a locker room and share a field with all the great group of guys we have, it's pretty special.
"I think anybody would feel really good with Tyler Glasnow on the mound. The guy's a great person, he's a leader, he's a workhorse. I'm sure you guys know that. It's going to be fun to watch him do his thing.''
Cash concurs, despite the sixth straight loss in six days. It's also their fourth straight postseason loss dating back to last year.
Yeah, it feels good to hand it over to Glasnow,'' Cash said. "It feels good that Shane was so good that we've basically got a whole fresh bullpen ready to go.
"We need to be resilient and I'm very confident in this group that they will respond the way they need to and compete and give us a good opportunity to win.''
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