#262---CIN @ CLE, 3/18/2022

Finally, nearly three weeks delayed, there was spring training baseball in 2022. OSU product Tanner Tully got the starting nod for the Indi...err Guardians, making him the answer to the not at all contrived trivia question “Who was the first player to perform an in-game baseball action wearing a Cleveland Guardians uniform?” Tully, who like the rest of the pitchers used in the game were minor leaguers who had been in camp for a few weeks before the lockout was lifted and the major leaguers arrived, acquitted himself well, allowing just a walk and fanning four over three innings of work. Fellow Buckeye Ronnie Dawson was a substitute for the Reds and drew a walk, stole a base, and lined out to left. 

Two Reds errors were key in allowing the Guardians to win their first exhibition game. Ernie Clement scored the tying run in the fifth after Trey Amburgey booted a single he was fielding in right, and Bryan Rocchio reached on Matt McLain’s throwing error in the seventh and came around to score the winning tally. 

I usually don't use the team nicknames on a scoresheet, but for this special occasion (and a few other lasts and firsts for the Indians/Guardians) I used the nickname for each team's lineup header while sticking with team name on the top line.

#261---CLE @ SEA, 3/2/2021

This was the first spring training game I got to score in 2021, and as is quickly apparent I used my modified version of LL Bean’s system. The note points out that the game was only scheduled for 7 1/2 innings, as variable game length was a major oddity of 2021 spring training. The ability of managers to call of an in-progress inning if it dragged too long forced me to introduce a new notation, “IT” as seen in Lavarnway’s scorebox for the Cleveland sixth. There were only two outs when Seattle pulled the plug on the inning. “IT” (“inning terminated”) is conceptually similar to the “IE” (“inning ended”) notation I use in the case where a batter’s plate appearance ends before completion due to the third out (or, less frequently, the winning run) occurring while the plate appearance is ongoing. 

#260---PIT @ STL, 8/27/2020

Combining the scourges of seven-inning doubleheaders and the runner at second in extra innings will hopefully just be one of those 2020 novelties. It served to mar the final score of what had been a 1-1 game, with Brad Miller’s error allowing Pittsburgh to scratch out three runs to St. Louis’ two. The Cards had their chance, with runners at the corners and one out, but Richard Rodriguez got two strikeouts on six pitches to end it. 

Note the interesting baserunning that ended the St. Louis second – Tyler O’Neill thrown out at second trying to tag on a Molina foul pop to third. 

#259---BAL @ CLE, 5/19/2019

 

This was the game that announced Shane Bieber’s arrival as a force to be reckoned with. Sure, it was only against Baltimore, but he was razor sharp needing just 107 pitches to record a five-hit, no walk, fifteen K shutout. Dwight Smith and Chris Davis each took the golden sombrero. Cleveland got offense up and down the lineup, with only Jake Bauers failing to reach base or record a run scored or RBI (even Mike Freeman who pinch-ran in the seventh drove in two in the eighth).

#258---CLE @ OAK, 6/29/2018

Nick Blackburn baffled Cleveland, allowing just three hits over seven innings (all in the first two) and retiring the last ten he faced. Trevor Bauer pitched well too, going 6 2/3 allowing two runs with eight strikeouts and one walk.