CLEVELAND -- The 1-0 changeup that Slade Cecconi threw to Michael Harris II in the fifth inning on Saturday hung out over the center of the plate. Harris jumped at the offering and sent it a long way to right field.
Harris’ three-run homer was one of several big swings off Cecconi, who struggled for a second consecutive start during the Guardians’ 10-1 loss to the Braves at Progressive Field. The loss snapped a streak of five series wins for Cleveland.
Cecconi was charged with eight runs (six earned) on 10 hits and two walks in 4 2/3 innings. It marked the most runs and hits he has allowed over his 16 starts this season.
“It was a struggle for Slade tonight,” manager Stephen Vogt said.
Cecconi’s emergence has been one of the most important developments for the Guardians this season. He joined the starting rotation on May 17, after Ben Lively underwent Tommy John surgery. Cecconi has been a steady presence since for a staff that later saw Luis L. Ortiz go on non-disciplinary paid leave on July 3 amid an MLB investigation.
Over his first 14 starts, Cecconi recorded a 3.72 ERA with 69 strikeouts and 23 walks over 82 1/3 innings. He has allowed 13 runs (11 earned) on 18 hits over 7 2/3 innings during his last two starts, which amounts to a 12.91 ERA.
Saturday’s outing followed a tough start on Sunday in Chicago, when Cecconi permitted five runs on eight hits (two homers) in three innings during a 6-4 loss to the White Sox.
“I'm not getting ahead of hitters,” Cecconi said of the past two starts. “That's really what it boils down to. When you put these hitters in advantage counts constantly, it doesn't matter how good your stuff is. They'll find ways to make you pay.
“I need to get ahead, and I need to be able to execute in those 0-0 counts. [That’s the] biggest takeaway for me.”
In his first 14 starts, Cecconi threw first-pitch strikes in 66.8 percent of counts, compared to 44.4 percent in his past two outings. That included first-pitch strikes to just 11 of the 27 Atlanta batters he faced, and to just nine of the 18 he faced in Chicago.
Generally speaking, if you start behind in a count, a hitter is put in an early position of strength, and they can be more selective. Vogt also noted that in the past two starts, Cecconi’s spin pitches haven’t been sharp, leaving his fastball susceptible to damage.
“It felt like his spin pitches, he just didn't have them tonight,” Vogt said. “They weren't sharp. The fastball velo was good. I thought he made some pitches when he needed to, but he just didn't have either the slider or the curveball tonight to really take them off of the fastball.”
Of the Braves’ 10 hits, four came off Cecconi’s slider, three came off his four-seamer, two off his curve, along with Harris’ homer on the changeup. Atlanta jumped out to an early lead in the second, when it scored three runs on three hits, one walk and a hit-by-pitch.
Drake Baldwin hit a leadoff double, and Nacho Alvarez Jr. later drove him in with an RBI single. Both knocks came off curveballs. Nick Allen added an RBI double off a slider to drive home Alvarez.
“The last two, it's been pretty clear that I haven't had the feel for just about everything,” Cecconi said. “That being said, this is baseball. You go through stretches like this, and I am fully confident that I'll make it out the other side. I'm going to do the work to put myself in the position to make the adjustments that I need to make.
“I'm going to work with the coaching staff on that, starting tomorrow, and we'll be ready to go next time.”
The defeat Saturday sealed the Guardians’ first series loss since July 26-27 against the Royals; Cleveland had won five consecutive series entering the current one. The Guardians (who have gone 23-11 since their 10-game losing streak that spanned June 26-July 6) have lost back-to-back games for the first time since July 27-28.
“We've rattled off a ton of wins the last month and a half,” Vogt said. “The fact of the matter is, we've lost the last two in a row. That's it. We don't look any further than that. We'll show up tomorrow ready to win, and one win gets us right back on track.”