BALTIMORE -- The old cliché says that momentum in baseball only carries as far as the next day’s starting pitcher. That fell on Joey Cantillo’s shoulders Monday, as the Guardians continued their postseason push following a thrilling weekend featuring three walk-off victories.
Cleveland’s momentum came to a halt on Monday.
“Just not a great one for Joey today,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said.
Cantillo struggled to find the strike zone in the Guardians’ 6-4 loss to the Orioles at Camden Yards. The left-hander allowed five walks and hit two batters over 2 1/3 innings, which marked his third-shortest start of the season.
Cantillo allowed just three hits, including a Coby Mayo solo home run. But he was charged with four runs due to the amount of traffic he put on the bases. Cantillo threw 72 pitches, including just 35 strikes.
The Guardians (73-72) fell to three games behind the American League Central-leading White Sox (75-68), who were off on Monday. Cleveland’s lead for the final AL Wild Card spot fell to a half game, pending the outcome of the Blue Jays’ (72-72) night game in Sacramento.
There have been warning signs in Cantillo’s outings over the past month or so that something is not right. He allowed one run on Aug. 21 against the Rockies, but walked four batters over 4 2/3 innings and threw 89 pitches (just 49 strikes). On Aug. 26 against the Angels, he allowed just three runs (two earned) over six innings despite issuing seven walks.
On Wednesday against the Blue Jays, Cantillo was charged with nine runs over 5 1/3 innings. Just four of those tallies were earned, though Cantillo sees the same common thread in his recent outings as any of us. He’s not challenging hitters in the strike zone consistently, and he's paying for it.
“It’s pretty simple,” Cantillo said. “Throw the ball over the plate and challenge guys in the strike zone, and then you'll be in situations where you don't have to be as fine. But I have to get ahead of guys. I just haven't done that at all.”
That includes Monday. Cantillo logged his fifth-lowest zone rate (42 percent) of his 30 starts this season. The timing of his start was tough; this series is a prime opportunity for the Guardians to impact one of the remaining teams trying to challenge them for the final Wild Card spot.
The Orioles (70-75) have ground to make up. But they’re alive, and they got to Cantillo early.
In the first inning, Cantillo fell behind Orioles leadoff man Blaze Alexander 3-1 and issued a leadoff walk. He fell behind Pete Alonso 3-0 and issued another free pass. Cantillo worked around those baserunners, but wasn’t as fortunate in the second or the third.
In the second, Cantillo hit Samuel Basallo with a pitch and walked Rece Hinds. Dylan Beavers then hit an RBI double. Mayo led off the third with his home run, and Cantillo then loaded the bases with two walks and a base hit. His day was over, and the Guardians fell behind, 4-0, after reliever Franco Aleman walked in a pair of runs.
This has been a constant conversation around Cantillo during his career. If he attacks the zone, he’s hard to hit. When he doesn’t, he can turn in some performances that put added stress on the Guardians and their bullpen.
Vogt was asked how the Guardians balance Cantillo’s recent performance with where we are on the calendar, given the urgency of this time of year.
“We're gonna keep talking about it and keep working,” Vogt said. “Joey's been great for us. Joey's played a huge role in where we are today. He’s had a couple tough ones as of late. It's late in the year. Innings are getting up there. But we’ve got a couple more.
“We need the best version of Joey. He knows that, and he's working for it.”
It doesn’t sound like Cantillo’s rotation spot is in jeopardy. His durability has been valuable, as he’s made all 30 starts and set a new career high in innings pitched (144) at any professional level.
But the Guardians can’t afford many more outings like this down the stretch. Perhaps they could use an opener ahead of Cantillo, such as Daniel Espino or Slade Cecconi, to try something different.
Whatever happens next, Cantillo isn’t naive about what he has to do.
“I’ve got to execute earlier and more consistently, and that's a simple thing,” Cantillo said. “But I know what I can do in this game. I think it's very clear what I can do in this game, and I will. There’s not really anything else to say.”