CLEVELAND -- Standing on first base on Saturday, Cooper Ingle faced the Guardians’ third-base dugout and emphatically clapped his hands. The 24-year-old gave a double thumbs-up, as chants of “Coooooop” began to echo across Progressive Field.
Ingle recorded his first career hit and RBI in the fourth inning, knocking a two-run single off right-hander Logan Gilbert. It was part of a key three-run frame for the Guardians, who held on to beat the Mariners, 4-3.
“The swing was the swing and I happened to find a hole,” Ingle said. “I kind of just blacked out, but in my brain I knew it was a hit, I guess, and mentally freaked out. I was pumped and excited to get that first one.”
Ingle (who’s ranked as the Guardians’ No. 3 prospect and No. 68 overall by MLB Pipeline) made his big league debut on Friday, after Cleveland selected him from Triple-A Columbus. Cleveland hoped his callup would serve as a potential boost for a club scuffling at the plate in June.
The Guardians entered Saturday tied with the Braves for last in MLB in runs scored (72) this month. They’ve spent the past two weeks without José Ramírez, Chase DeLauter and Angel Martínez, each of whom is on the injured list and whose absences have prompted a bit of a youth movement in Cleveland.
Saturday’s Guardians lineup included four rookies in Ingle, Travis Bazzana, Kahlil Watson (their No. 12 prospect) and Petey Halpin, all of whom are 23 or 24 years old. Starter Slade Cecconi (who’s the ripe young age of 27) joked how he feels old being inside Cleveland’s clubhouse these days.
“We're asking a lot of these young players, and they're answering it,” manager Stephen Vogt said Friday. “It's going to take some growing pains. It's going to take some time, but I couldn't be more thrilled and proud of the way our young guys have handled this transition.”
This has become an increasingly young group recently, and the Guardians are counting on their up-and-coming players to keep them afloat with their injury situation. We saw them come up big early and often on Saturday.
Cleveland was held scoreless through three innings until Bazzana jumpstarted things with a leadoff single in the fourth. Kyle Manzardo followed with a one-out single off Gilbert, and Watson drove in Bazzana with an RBI double into the right-field corner.
Ingle followed Watson by delivering his two-run single on a groundball past diving second baseman Cole Young. He finished the night 1-for-3. He noted he plans to give the baseball from his first hit to his dad, Steve.
Two days into his big league career, one of Ingle’s top takeaways has been how welcoming the Guardians’ clubhouse is. For a guy who is getting his feet wet in the Majors, feeling like he is able to be himself has been huge.
“That's so freeing,” Ingle said. “You look forward to getting called up your whole life, but being able to go out there and play free is something that you might not get everywhere else. Being able to, for me, come up here a few days ago and be able to feel free on the field for my first time in the bigs is something I'm so thankful for.”
Watson hit fifth and went 1-for-3 with an RBI double. He became the first Guardians rookie to tally a hit and an RBI in five straight games since Steven Kwan did so in 2022, though there was a nerve-wracking moment with him in the sixth. Watson appeared to roll over his left wrist attempting to make a diving catch on what was ultimately a Randy Arozarena base hit.
Watson got attention from the Guardians’ training staff and remained in the game, until Daniel Schneemann replaced him in the lineup entering the ninth. Vogt called Watson’s exit “precautionary” and noted postgame the Guardians were going to check on him. The hope is he can play Sunday.
Bazzana went 2-for-4 with two singles and two runs scored out of the No. 2 spot of the order. He’s an elder statesman compared to some in this group, having played in 52 games already while establishing himself as a fixture in the Guardians’ lineup.
Bazzana knows Watson and Ingle as well as anyone given their shared time in Cleveland's farm system. He and Ingle, after all, were roommates in Triple-A.
“We know each other pretty well,” Bazzana said of Ingle, “and we kind of click on baseball, mind stuff, and don't really stop talking about the game. It's cool. He obsesses over the game, and I like guys like that. It's really cool, and he just continues to get better.”