Great Year For Guards, But Can’t Stand Pat For ’23

What a remarkable, unexpected season for the Cleveland Guardians. We figured a slightly above .500 season coming into the year, but Terry Francona’s young squad won the Central Division title and advanced to the Division Series by beating Tampa Bay.

Cleveland baseball fans fell in love with this team, the youngest squad in baseball, and we are sure there will be many fans who will want to bring everyone back next year. They were a very likeable team.

However, executives have to think with their heads and not their hearts, and to us, standing pat with this current roster would be the absolute wrong move. Francona himself said the organization needed to build on the success of this group.

We think the catching position has to be upgraded, and we understand the organization values defense and handling the pitching staff above anything else at the position. Austin Hedges is a team leader, and we expect him to be back next year, but it would not be a shock if he shares time with Bo Naylor.

Naylor, a left-handed hitter, batted .263 with an 889 OPS between AA and AAA this season. He belted 21 homers and although he does have some swing and miss in his game (128 K’s), he also takes walks, getting 82 bases on balls.

Hedges does need to be better with a bat in his hands though. His career average is down to .189 (578 OPS). He did hit 43 home runs in a three-year span in San Diego, but with Cleveland has hit just 17 in two seasons.

The Guardians could also use an upgrade at 1B/OF/DH, preferably with a right-handed bat, so Josh Naylor doesn’t have to be exposed to tough southpaws. The Guards simply have to have a better option than Owen Miller at first when Naylor needs a day off.

Really, the team needs to fill the DH role with someone who is capable of playing defensively or get a first baseman and let Naylor be the primary designated hitter.

Even though the Guardians were sixth in the AL in runs scored, the bats struggled in the playoffs, as Cleveland scored just 17 runs in the seven games. They need more power (14th in homers) and although we loved the contact approach, the Guards need to walk more, they ranked just 11th in that category.

It’s easier to mix in a walk rather than have to get three or four hits in a row.

We would also like to see another starting pitcher added to the rotation. Shane Bieber and Triston McKenzie are good at the top, and Cal Quantrill is solid, but it might be better if he was the #4 guy, and you had another starter who could strike batters out.

Hopefully, Aaron Civale is healthy and can contribute closer to his 2021 season next year, but it’s two straight years with injury issues for him. And Zach Plesac has the same problem, although his are self-inflicted.

It would also buy another year of development for Gavin Williams, Daniel Espino, Tanner Bibee, Cody Morris, Hunter Gaddis, and Xzavion Curry. The first two or three could be ready to help next season, but you wouldn’t have to depend on that.

With all of the young players the organization used this year, you have to remember there is no track record for some of these guys. There could be drastic dips in performances for some, and big jumps in statistics for others.

The front office should be prepared for that.

It will also be interesting to see what the management does with the farm system and the stacking up of prospects at certain positions.

The future looks bright as Francona pointed out after Tuesday’s game. That makes this winter very interesting for Cleveland baseball fans.

Browns Continue To Slide, And Season Is Slipping Away Too

Coming into last Sunday’s game against the Patriots, the Cleveland Browns had lost three games by a total of six points.

They can’t say that anymore as they were bludgeoned by New England, 38-15 dropping to 2-4 on the season, and any thought of Deshaun Watson returning to a team with a chance to make the playoffs is getting bleaker by the week.

Bill Belichick is a master at taking away what opposing teams do well, and he decided to focus on the Browns’ running game, which was leading the league in yards. When Nick Chubb didn’t start off the game gashing the New England defense for big games, Kevin Stefanski played right into his hands by throwing.

Jacoby Brissett threw 45 passes and Chubb and Kareem Hunt combined to touch the ball just 17 times. Hunt didn’t catch a pass.

Once again, Cleveland football fans are focusing on this, but since this was the first game Stefanski did this in 2022, we will wait and see if it is an aberration.

However, the defense was overwhelmed once again. Patriots’ rookie QB Bradley Zappe threw for 309 yards and two touchdowns, and in what is becoming a weekly occurrance, Joe Woods’ unit allowing plays of 53, 38, 31, 29 and 27 yards.

New England converted 50% of their third downs as the Browns’ defenders simply couldn’t get off the field once again.

As a frame of reference, the Browns’ longest plays were 37 and 33 yards. The next longest was an 18-yard run by Chubb.

We heard the usual platitudes from the defensive players after the game. John Johnson III reminded people about the youth of the unit, even though the only newcomer in the secondary is rookie CB Martin Emerson. Others said they are close to correcting the problems.

However, they’ve been saying that all season long, yet the results haven’t changed.

The Browns rank 29th out of 32 teams in allowing points. The offense ranks 7th in scoring, yet people continue to question play calling. Oh, and we should add, they are still using a backup quarterback, but Brissett seems to be regressing to the mean in the past couple of weeks.

And the defense has forced just five turnovers on the season to rank among the worst in the NFL in that category.

Let’s not leave out the special teams either. Chester Rogers fumbled a punt after the Browns cut the deficit to 24-15, allowing a quick TD to put the game out of reach. Last year, Cade York missed two field goals, although he made three on Sunday.

What is very frustrating is the lack of urgency from Woods and the players on defense.

When will some of the mistakes cost players time on the field? GM Andrew Berry traded for LB Deion Jones, but he was not activated for the game.

We have not noticed much being changed defensively, although Myles Garrett seemed to line up at other places besides his usual right side.

Speaking of Garrett, he was credited with breaking the team’s all-time sack record in the game, although we prefer to go with the revised total listed on ProFootballrefence.com which still has him 5th at 63.5 sacks, behind Bill Glass, Clay Matthews, Jerry Sherk, and Walter Johnson.

The latter is next up with 66 career sacks.

Sadly, that might be the only thing Browns’ fans have to look forward to in the coming weeks.

Right now, this group seems disinterested, especially defensively, and it’s difficult to see things changing, particularly with the Ravens and Bengals being the next two games.

That’s something we didn’t think we’d be writing this year.

New Look Cavs Should Finish In East’s Top Six

Wednesday night, the Cleveland Cavaliers open the 2022-23 season against the Toronto Raptors with high expectations. And they should be looking forward to it.

Last season, the Cavs won a surprising 44 games, doubling the total from the previous year (although it was a shortened 72 game season), and getting into the “play in” tournament, where they were eliminated by losing to Brooklyn and Atlanta.

For much of the year, J.B. Bickerstaff’s squad was in the top four in the East, using their big lineup with first-time All-Star guard Darius Garland providing the long-range shooting.

Injuries started to hit. Ricky Rubio, who was so good at the start of the year, injured his knee, and later Jarrett Allen missed time as well. Kevin Love led the Cavs in games played with 74.

Cleveland struggled after the mid-season break, losing 17 of 26 games, and to us, playing a different style than they did earlier, more reliant on Garland for scoring.

GM Koby Altman took a huge swing during the summer, trading for another All-Star guard, Donovan Mitchell from Utah, giving up Collin Sexton, who missed most of last year with a knee injury and ending the big lineup by moving Lauri Markkanen in the same deal.

Mitchell is a proven scorer, a career 23.9 points per game, and last year, he poured in 25.9 per contest. However, he is still just 6’1″, albeit with a long wingspan, so concerns about a lack of size in the backcourt is still a concern.

Can Garland and Mitchell provide enough defense against opponents’ guards? Bickerstaff maintains defense is still the wine and gold’s identity. That means everyone needs to pitch in, it cannot fall to just Allen and second-year power forward Evan Mobley.

Letting opposing guards to get to the paint with ease breaks down the defense completely. Mitchell and Garland have to do better.

We cannot wait to see the progression of Mobley this season. Last year as a rookie, he scored 15 points, grabbed 8.3 boards, and blocked 1.7 shots per game. He no doubt will be better in his second year.

For all the discussion about who the best player on the Cavs was a year ago, and then include Mitchell in the conversation this season, in a year or two (or perhaps this season) that point could be moot. The answer will probably be Mobley.

The biggest question for Bickerstaff will be who is starting at small forward and who else will get minutes once the regular season commences. Knowing the coach likes height, the favorites might be Cedi Osman or Dean Wade, but both players are very inconsistent.

He could go with veteran Caris LeVert, who can score and pass, but can he play without the ball, which he probably would with Mitchell and Garland starting. Finding the best fit could be a process that takes the Cavs into when the calendar changes.

The Cavs should avoid the play in tournament this year by finishing in the top six of the Eastern Conference and getting a best-of-seven series to start the post-season. On paper, they are more talented than last year’s team.

However, last year’s squad showed other teams a different look, one with three seven footers on the front line. This year’s roster is smaller, but seemingly more skilled.

We didn’t see all of the key players during exhibition play, so we are left wondering how Mitchell fits in, who (if anyone) loses touches in the offense.

That wonder will end come Wednesday night up north.

It could be a very exciting winter downtown.

Stop Putting Blame Elsewhere. It’s The Browns’ Defense

We think it was former Browns’ coach Marty Schottenheimer who was the first to say play calling is overrated. What he meant (we think) was if you execute the play correctly it will work, no matter what you call.

We bring this up because it seems to be the focus of Browns’ fans, especially because they lose close games. Kevin Stefanski’s squad has lost three games by a total of six points.

People are focusing on how many touches Nick Chubb is getting, and why he wasn’t in for the last three offensive plays in last Sunday’s 30-28 loss to the Chargers. They have valid questions, but they are also missing the point.

The reason this football team is 2-3 is quite simple. The defense isn’t playing up to par.

We watched Dallas, without Dak Prescott, raise their record to 4-1 beating the Rams after the Cleveland loss, and in viewing the game, thought the Cowboys are doing exactly what the Browns’ game plan was supposed to be after Deshaun Watson was suspended.

They are running the ball, playing good defense, and creating turnovers. Dallas is 7th in overall defense (by yards). The Browns are 19th. The Cowboys are tied for 13th in creating turnovers. Cleveland is tied for 26th.

We know the Browns can run the football. Chubb leads the league in rushing, and the Browns lead the NFL in running the ball. That’s not an issue.

The Cleveland defense has allowed over 200 yards on the ground each of the last two weeks, dropping from 5th in the league against the run after three weeks to their current rank of 28th.

The defense isn’t stopping the run, they aren’t putting pressure on the quarterback either, ranking 23rd in sacks, and as previously mentioned, they are forcing turnovers.

Other than that, they are playing just fine.

Another reason for the losses is key turnovers by QB Jacoby Brissett in the 4th quarter. Overall, Brissett has played well, heck, the Browns are averaging 26.6 points per game, and only five teams have scored more.

We will excuse the interception at the end of the Jets’ game because there was so little time left, but he threw critical picks late in both the losses to Atlanta and Los Angeles, giving up chances to put key points on the board.

However, Brissett is as advertised. His completion percentage ranks just 17th among all passers (64%) and his average yards per attempt is 25th in the league. It was said prior to the season that he would be efficient and avoid mistakes, but in the last two weeks, he’s made critical ones.

But the big factor remains the defense. GM Andrew Berry traded for LB Deion Jones from Atlanta and signed veteran DT Tyeler Davison, who last played for the Falcons, to the practice squad. It would be no surprise if both were in uniform last weekend against the Patriots.

Even though it’s become a passing league, in the NFL, if you can’t stop the run, you are going to have a big problem winning. The fact each of the last two games have been winnable should tell us the Browns are still capable of turning it around.

That Berry is focusing on fixing this area of the team should show everyone where he puts the blame thus far. If the defense doesn’t start playing better, it’s not going to matter when Watson returns to the field.

Previewing Guardians And Yankees

The Cleveland Guardians will face a much stiffer challenge in the upcoming American League Division Series, and we don’t think that is breaking news.

First, the Guards will head to Yankee Stadium for two games in the Bronx, whereas all three games against Tampa Bay were scheduled for Progressive Field.

Secondly, the Yankees are a better team than the Rays, winning 13 more games in the regular season. They also won seven more than Cleveland, including five of six in head-to-head meetings.

While the Rays were 11th in the AL in runs scored at 4.11, New York led the AL averaging almost a run more per contest at 4.98, and they were second in the league in OPS as a team, behind only Toronto.

Pitching wise, while Tampa was third in team ERA just ahead of Cleveland, New York is second at 3.30.

You are supposed to play better teams as you move on in the post-season, so this is nothing to be surprised about, but the Yankees are a much better offensive ballclub. There is no Aaron Judge in the Rays’ batting order.

As for the season series against the Bronx Bombers, remember the Guards made their only trip to New York way back at the end of April. In fact, the starting pitcher for the first game of that series was Eli Morgan, making his only start of the year.

He was following in that game by Logan Allen, Tanner Tully, and Konnor Pilkington. It was that long ago.

The second game of the series was the contest where there was an altercation between Myles Straw and the fans in the bleachers after Steven Kwan was hurt. Emmanuel Clase blew the save, making his ERA for the season 7.71.

The last game was a blowout, a 10-2 Yankee win, with Aaron Civale taking the loss. Civale was really struggling at the time.

The three-game set in Cleveland involved a rainout (surprise) and a doubleheader on Saturday, in which Kirk McCarty started the first game, a 13-4 loss. Civale started game two and was losing 2-1 going into the seventh before he tired and the bullpen allowed four runs.

In the finale, Triston McKenzie pitched a masterpiece, going seven, one hit innings, and Clase survived an error in the ninth to save it. That dropped his ERA to 1.31 on the season.

A little bit of a difference, eh?

It is interesting to note the Guardians saw Garrit Cole and Nestor Cortes, the game #1 and #2 starters each twice in the six regular season contests, while the Yankees saw Cal Quantrill and McKenzie each once. Shane Bieber, who will toe the rubber Thursday night, did not pitch against New York during the season.

That alone could account for Cleveland’s 1-5 record this year.

And for what it’s worth, both Quantrill (6.1 IP, 3 runs) and McKenzie pitched well against the Yanks.

Can the Guardians win this series? Sure, they are a much different team than they were in early July when the two teams last met. Heck, Oscar Gonzalez didn’t have an at bat against New York.

However, the offense is going to have to produce. We doubt scoring three runs in two games will win anything.

That’s why the play the games, right?

Memories Made By Ramirez, Oscar, and Hentges

Even though it has been just two years since Cleveland experienced post-season baseball, the memory of how special it is fading a bit until it comes back again.

The Guardians played two classic pitcher’s duel against Tampa Bay and won both, eliminating the Rays and sending Terry Francona’s squad to New York to play the Yankees in the AL Division Series, a best-of-five affair beginning Tuesday night.

The entire series, yes series, had a total of four runs. That’s how good the pitching in the series was, although you could argue neither team possesses a great lineup. Shane Bieber gave his team 7-2/3 frames, allowing just one run in game one, and Triston McKenzie fired six shutout innings in game two.

And in yesterday’s 15 inning marathon, the bullpen. led by lefty Sam Hentges, kept the Rays off the scoreboard for nine innings.

To be sure, it was nerve-wracking, blood pressure rising baseball, and although some fans probably longed for the “ghost runner” on second base in the extra innings Saturday, for us it was tension filled baseball, and we don’t think anyone who was there or was watching at home failed to be on the edge of their seats.

Offensively, a team that finished 14th in the American League in home runs this season, scored via the long ball. The great Jose Ramirez, and we don’t throw the word “great” around all that often, displayed his many skills in the pair of games.

First, his home run, his second career playoff dinger (the first game in game 5 of the 2016 World Series), answered a Tampa blast in the top of the sixth inning of the first game, giving Cleveland a 2-1 lead, it would never relinquish.

Then, in game 2, he made a defensive play in the 12th, ranging into foul territory to throw out Manuel Margot with runners on first and third.

Bieber said it best Friday, saying Ramirez was “inevitable”.

And then you have Oscar Gonzalez, someone who wasn’t even on the 40-man roster to start the year. We always view a player’s strikeout to walk ratio and an indicator of long-term success at the big-league level. Gonzalez doesn’t have a good one, he almost never walked in the minor leagues.

But he also hit .280 in the minor leagues, striking out about five times more than he walked in his career. That intrigued us. Sometimes, players have the ability to just get the barrel of the bat to the ball.

And then you have Hentges, who probably was forced to the big leagues earlier than expected last season with all the pitching injuries. He started 12 games and had a 6.68 ERA. In September 2021, he was used exclusively out of the bullpen, making nine appearances, and only allowing runs in two of them.

This season, he pitched 57 times, with a 2.32 ERA, striking out 72 hitters in 62 innings. He fanned six in three innings yesterday, including the last two with runners on first and third with one out in the top of the 15th.

So, in two days, Cleveland fans saw the end of an eight-game post-season losing streak and the first playoff series win since 2016.

More memories for fans of the Guardians/Indians. Hopefully, there will be more to come the rest of this month.

Remember, MLB Post-Season Isn’t Supposed To Be Easy

Friday, the Cleveland Guardians will take the field in the American League Wild Card Series against the Tampa Bay Rays, trying to stop some recent post-season trends.

First, the Guards will be trying to break an eight-game losing skein in the playoffs. After winning the first two games of the Division Series against the Yankees in 2017, they lost the last three, and then lost three straight to Houston in the same round in 2018.

In 2020, Cleveland made the post-season in the truncated season, and lost both games in the best-of-three series vs. New York.

So, it has been a long time since October 6, 2017, when Yan Gomes knocked in Austin Jackson with the winning run in the 13th inning to put the Tribe up 2-0 in the best-of-five series.

With Bryan Shaw recently designated for assignment, the only member of the current team to have played in that game is Jose Ramirez.

This series won’t be easy, and really, it shouldn’t be. We have narrowed baseball to the best teams in each league, and there are only 12 teams still taking the field. None of the games the rest of the year will have the Kansas City Royals or Los Angeles Angels involved.

Cleveland has a slight edge offensively, scoring 4.28 runs per game, ranking 6th in the AL, while the Rays cross the plate 4.12 times per contest, 11th best in the league.

Pitching wise though, the Tampa is 3rd in the Junior Circuit in ERA, just ahead of Terry Francona’s group. The three starting pitchers the Guardians will face are no pushovers.

In game one, Tampa will go with Shane McClanahan (12-8, 2.54 ERA, 194 strikeouts in 166-1/2 innings), who started the All-Star Game for the American League. He’s a southpaw, and the Guardians hit 17 points less, and have an OPS as a team that is 68 points worse against left-handers than righties for the season.

Of course, it’s not as though Cleveland is starting a slouch, going with Shane Bieber who went 13-8 with a 2.88 ERA. In the second half, those numbers are even better (9-3, 2.48). Bieber does pitch better on the road, going 5-5 with a 3.22 ERA at Progressive Field.

McClanahan actually pitched better on the road but made eight less starts there.

Bieber has made one post-season start, pitching 4-2/3 innings giving up seven runs to the Yankees in 2020.

Game 2 features Tyler Glasnow, who missed most of this year recovering from Tommy John surgery (two starts allowing one earned run in 6-2/3 frames) against Triston McKenzie (11-11, 2.96 ERA). McKenzie’s ERA was a half run lower in the second half and was better at the corner of Carnegie and Ontario this season.

And if there is a deciding game on Sunday, Tampa goes with Drew Rasmussen (11-7, 2.84 ERA) while Francona counters with Cal Quantrill (15-5, 3.38).

You can see neither team has a decided advantage in the pitching department, even at closer. While Emmanuel Clase was tremendous (42 saves, 1.36 ERA), Pete Fairbanks had a 1.13 ERA and 38 strikeouts in 24 innings this season.

It is likely going to come down to executing on offense, moving runners over and taking the extra base when the opportunity arises.

Although the networks seem to have banished this series to non-rating game times, this might be the most intriguing series to watch.

It won’t be easy. But it’s the playoffs, it shouldn’t be.

More Defensive Gaffes For The Browns Lead To A Loss

Being a Browns fan is filled with frustration on most Sundays it seems, and the 23-20 loss to Atlanta a couple of days ago was no exception.

We know Cleveland did not have either of their starting defensive ends, Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney, but to us, they still had the better roster going into the game and we felt they should have won regardless.

We get many people like to point fingers at Kevin Stefanski, blaming the head coach for losses is a cottage industry for northeast Ohio football fans, and we think getting only three points on two trips inside the five yard line isn’t acceptable. However, we felt going in the offense probably needed to score 30 points, and perhaps the head coach did as well.

And really, this is the first game you can point at the offense being a problem, particularly in the second half. Also, if they would have salvaged seven points out of the two goal line situations instead of three, the offense would have put up at least 23 points in each of the four games.

Going into the season without Deshaun Watson, the “formula” for winning was run the football and play defense. To date, the first thing has worked, the Browns rank second in the NFL in rushing after four games.

The defense continues to let the team down.

Against the Falcons, the problem was the rush defense, which up to this game was actually pretty good, although some issues started to creep up in the first half against the Steelers.

Atlanta gained over 200 yards on the ground, going the length of the field on one drive without completing a single pass. Usually, the Browns are doing that to opponents (they did have 177 yards on the ground themselves), but they were on the receiving end of it this time.

And it wasn’t as though the defense overreacted to Marcus Mariota lighting up the Cleveland secondary either. He was terrible, completing just 7 of 19 throws for 139 yards and an interception.

We don’t know what the record of teams giving up 200 yards rushing in the NFL is, but it is safe to assume that team rarely win when that occurs. It happened to the Browns most recently twice in 2020 against the Raiders and Ravens, and Stefanski’s crew lost both games.

We should also add in addition to having a porous defense against the rush, the defense also supplied another blown coverage in the secondary, which based on Mariota’s numbers in the second half, was likely the only way he could complete a pass.

We know GM Andrew Berry didn’t draft Denzel Ward, but he gave Ward a huge contract and he did draft Greg Newsome and Martin Emerson. We doubt we made those moves thinking they would be very effective in a zone scheme.

But that’s what they seem to be playing a good deal of the time.

By the way, we are curious as to what John Johnson III’s comment of “it wasn’t us” was all about. There still seems to be a lot of finger pointing on the defensive side of the ball.

Remember, this was the supposed “easy part” of the Browns’ schedule and they went 2-2. Things have to improve soon especially defensively if getting Watson back doesn’t become a moot point in terms of making the playoffs.

Luckily, no one has taken control in the AFC North.

Five Big Wins For Guardians This Year

It was an improbable road to the Central Division championship for the Cleveland Guardians. Most folks thought Terry Francona’s squad would be around the .500 mark, yet here they are, poised to begin the playoffs Friday at Progressive Field.

All the victories, and it appears they will win more than 90 games, are important, but to us, some were more relevant than others.

Here are our five most impactful triumphs for the Guardians this season.

Game 3, April 10th: Cleveland 17, Kansas City 3

After scoring one run in the first two games, the Guardians exploded for six runs in the first and four in the second, highlighted by Oscar Mercado’s grand slam home run. Owen Miller started at first for Bobby Bradley, who started the first two games, and Steven Kwan went five for five in a portent of things to come.

Miller had three hits and four RBIs and became a fixture in the lineup for a while. Bradley never got back in the lineup, and this was the first step toward a more contact-oriented approach for the Guards’ offense.

By the end of that week, Yu Chang came down with COVID, and he never got his job back either, as Andres Gimenez became a fixture.

Cleveland scored 27 runs over the next three games.

Game 29, May 9th: Cleveland 12 Chicago 9, 11 innings

This was the Josh Naylor game. After losing 7 in a row to the Yankees and Angels, Cleveland won 7 of 9, going into Chicago.

The Guardians trailed 8-2 going into the ninth, but got two back on a Gimenez home run and an error. With two outs, Miller singled to load the bases, and Josh Naylor hit a grand slam off All-Star closer Liam Hendricks to tie it, and hit a three-run shot off Ryan Burr to give the Guards a 12-9 lead in the 11th.

Cleveland lost the next two, but this one demonstrated the Guardians never thought they were out of a game.

Game 61, June 19th: Cleveland 5, Los Angeles Dodgers 3

Francona’s club started a key nine game trek to Colorado, LA, and Minnesota by sweeping the Rockies and splitting the first two with the mighty Dodgers. Jose Ramirez missed the last two games of the series, including this one.

Trailing 3-2 going into the top of the 8th, the Guards tied it on a pinch-hit double by Richie Palacios, and then scored two off LA closer Craig Kimbrel on a Gimenez single and a sacrifice fly by Ernie Clement, subbing for Ramirez.

Emmanuel Clase pitched a 1-2-3 ninth, and the Guardians wound up 7-2 on the trip.

Game 101, July 31st: Cleveland 5, Tampa Bay 3

The Guardians were going with a bullpen game because Aaron Civale was hurt, while the Rays started All-Star Game starter Shane McClanahan.

The Guards worked the southpaw hard, making him throw 96 pitches in 4-1/3 innings, scoring three in the 2nd and two in the 5th. Myles Straw had a two-run single in the second, and Austin Hedges had the single in the fifth to provide the cushion.

Unsung hero Kirk McCarty threw 3-1/3 frames allowing one run, before Eli Morgan, Trevor Stephan, and Clase finished off Tampa.

Game 136, September 9th: Cleveland 7, Minnesota 6

Cleveland took the division lead on August 10th and had a four-game edge on August 25th before a disastrous stretch against Seattle and Baltimore, where they lost 8 of 10.

Heading into Target Field with a two-game advantage, the Guards took an early lead on a Naylor single and a three-run homer by Oscar Gonzalez. That lead stretched to 7-0 after four and a half before the Twins rallied with two runs in the 5th, 6th, and 8th innings.

The 8th inning was highlighted by Twins’ skipper Rocco Baldelli checking James Karinchak’s hair for sticky materials.

Clase finished it in the 9th and the Guards swept Minnesota, practically ending Minnesota’s hopes.

All wins were important to be sure, but to us, these had deeper meanings for the 2022 Guardians. Hopefully, more important ones are still on the horizon.

Who Plays Small Forward? Cavs Have To Have An Answer

The Cleveland Cavaliers have started training camp for the 2022-23 season and they know who four starters will be: Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell will be the guards, Evan Mobley will be the power forward, and Jarrett Allen be man the pivot.

The question is who will start at small forward or the #3 spot. Most fans have their favorite to play there, but really, there is more to it than just numbers.

The player that J.B. Bickerstaff chooses has to fit with the others. He has to be an offensive threat, otherwise the opponents will double team someone, which will limit the effectiveness of that player and possibly the entire offense.

And while he needs to be an offensive threat, he has to understand he will be the fifth option on that side of the court, knowing he needs to be a facilitator to get the ball to the others.

Lastly, Bickerstaff has to worry about the second unit too. He needs to create balance so when three bench players are on the floor, the Cavs aren’t worrying how they are going to score.

We believe the contenders are Isaac Okoro, Caris LeVert, Cedi Osman, Dean Wade, and Lamar Stevens

The favorite to land the spot is third year player Okoro, mostly because he was the 5th overall pick in the 2020 draft. Okoro improved his three point shooting from 29% as a rookie to 35% last season, but last season, opposing teams were leaving him open, and he still seemed hesitant to shoot.

For us, he needs to demonstrate he can knockdown shots without hesitation and make defenses pay attention to him. If he can do that, he might be the guy.

LeVert is the most accomplished scorer of the group, scoring at 14.6 points per game in his career. He’s a good passer and is certainly someone the defense would need to pay attention to. That’s probably why he’s a better fit with the second unit, using he and Kevin Love as the primary weapons among that group.

We are fans of Osman, so we are a little biased here. We think Osman has been miscast as spot up three-point shooter, and although he has a career mark of 35%, he’s inconsistent. He’s really a slasher/distributor, that’s what he does internationally, and is a solid defender.

Doing those things, he might be a great fit with Mitchell, Garland, Allen, and Mobley. He is willing to shoot though, and has size too, at 6’7″ (compared to Okoro at 6’5″ and LeVert at 6’6″).

Wade is 6’9″, so he would fit more into Bickerstaff’s love of size, and he’s a good shooter (36% from three), but he seems hesitant to shoot at times and thus far in his career, it feels like he goes through stretches where he disappears on the floor. It’s hard to justify increased minutes if that happens.

Stevens would be a good choice too. He gives you the same defense as Okoro but with a better offensive game. We often think Stevens would get more time than Okoro if the latter wasn’t the fifth overall pick.

What we like about Stevens is he knows his game, and he can be effective in the mid-range game, so defenses have to respect that.

The performance of these five players is something to watch when the exhibition games commence. But don’t just look at their numbers, look at what the play on the court looks like with the other starters.