#315---TEX @ CLE, 3/21/2022

In 2021, Spring Training rules allowed pitchers to re-enter and innings to be terminated early when pitch counts got too high. The former rule remained for 2022 (and was utilized by Texas as Kohei Arihara was relieved in the third but returned to pitch the fourth. The latter rule was not, which was a good thing or else this game would not have reached the epic levels of ridiculousness that it did, a 25-12 shootout that saw Texas score in every inning except the first. 

This was the first game of the young Cactus League season in which Cleveland (playing their fourth game) deployed any major league pitchers, but they might have been better off sticking to the minor leaguers. Logan Allen started and after a scoreless first allowed four runs without recording an out in the second. Sam Hentges followed in the third and coughed up five runs while getting just a single out. The other big leaguers (albeit non-roster invitees) to pitch for the Guardians were Justin Garza (allowed two runs in the fourth) and Alex Young (allowed one run in the sixth). 

The Rangers sent fourteen men to the plate in the third, and when six men batted in the fourth this pushed the fourth inning into the fifth inning column as well. I find batting around to be a minor nuisance in most cases, certainly not a reason for having a scoresheet with space wasted on extra innings that you then cross out an re-number as some scorekeepers do. I can deal with a little overflow into the next column on occasion. In cases like this, were multiple innings are impacted, it does get much harder to read, but I still prefer to deal with that rather than waste a lot of space on starting each inning in a new column (which introduces its own readability problems, like offsetting the innings of the two clubs). 

#314---CLE @ CHN, 3/5/2021

 

The third inning of this game saw five runs scored and only two outs recorded. Cal Quantrill started the third, faced three batters in the fourth, and got only two outs. Bobby Bradley hit a three-run blast en route to being passed over in favor of Jake Bauers for the first base job. Kind of sums up spring training 2021.

#313---CHA @ CLE, 7/28/2020

 

I did not look this up, but I believe this was the first half of the only nine-inning doubleheader played in the majors in 2020. By the time this is actually posted we will know whether it was the last ever played; as I write this in March 2021, they remain a casualty of the COVID rules.

Cleveland did all of their scoring early, getting four in the first three frames (aided by a Bradley Zimmer homer and Daniel Johnson’s first major league hit), then held on for dear life. Aaron Civale loaded the bases with one out in the fourth, but got the force at home on a Luis Robert comebacker. James Karinchak was first out of the bullpen and had a dominant/wild performance emblematic of his 2020 (walk, wild pitch, 3 Ks). Nick Wittgren loaded the bases with one out in the eighth, but a grounder to first led to another home plate forceout, and he worked out of it. Brad Hand allowed a double to Tim Anderson to leadoff the ninth, got two outs, surrendered a single to Yasmani Grandal, but then froze former teammate Edwin Encarnacion to end it.

#312---CLE @ MIA, 5/1/2019

 

Corey Kluber allowed three straight singles to open the game, but still breezed through the first three frames on just 29 pitches, with Roberto Perez’ third-inning solo shot tying the score. He got two quick outs in the fourth, then yielded three straight hits to go down 3-1. Things got worse in the fifth when his forearm was fractured by a Brian Anderson line drive. It would be his last pitch as an Indian.

Caleb Smith and Drew Steckenrider held the Cleveland offense in check until Carlos Santana hit a ninth inning homer off Sergio Romo, but it ended 4-2 in a very bad day for the Tribe

#311---NYA @ HOU, 5/2/2018

Giancarlo Stanton drove in all four runs tallied in this game with two homers and a double. Luis Severino went the distance for a five-hit shutout with one walk and ten strikeouts. 

#310---CLE @ DET, 5/2/2017

Corey Kluber got an early hook after allowing five runs in the first three innings, spoiling a showdown with Justin Verlander. Verlander worked seven, allowing two runs with five strikeouts and four walks.  

#309---CLE @ HOU, 5/9/2016

Corey Kluber struck out the side in the first and allowed only a walk in the second, but in the third the roof caved in, the first six Astros reaching base before back-to-back comebackers on which he tagged the batter-runner out. A walk and a single followed and Kluber was gone after 2 2/3 and having allowed five runs. The Indians didn’t do much against Mike Fiers and Houston’s bullpen, resulting in a 7-1 final.

#308---STL @ CLE, 5/14/2015

In the previous night’s game, Corey Kluber had fanned 18 Cardinals in eight innings (unfortunately, of all the Indians games I have scored over the years I do not have the best pitching performance of that time). Trevor Bauer followed him up by pitching well, and led 1-0 heading into the eighth backed by a Michael Brantley solo homer. Cleveland also had missed opportunities with two runners thrown out at home.

Bauer walked Peter Bourjos and left after making 110 pitches over 7 1/3, walking three and fanning ten. Former Cardinal Mark Rzepczynski was summoned and surrendered a two-run shot to Matt Carpenter that gave St. Louis a 2-1 victory. 

#307---CHN @ STL, 5/12/2014

The Cubs scored 17 runs, so they naturally had a number of big offensive performances:

* Emilio Bonifacio 4-5 with a walk and five runs scored

* Junior Lake 3-5 with two doubles, a homer, and five RBI

* Starlin Castro 3-5 with a double and a triple

* Mike Olt 2-5 with a homer

This was one of just eight MLB appearances for Cardinal reliever Eric Fornataro, and Daniel Descalso had to be summoned to get the last out after Randy Choate had allowed six runs in the ninth. But the most interesting thing might be Yadier Molina stealing third with two outs in the fifth on a 1-2 pitch with his team trailing 9-5. Travis Wood must have never seen it coming. 

#306---WAS @ ATL, 5/2/2013

 

This game lasted only 2:26 as Kris Medlen and Dan Haren both pitched efficiently and effectively. Washington got three runs in the first two frames, with Denard Span as their offensive catalyst, leading off the game and scoring after a double, then driving in the two second inning runs with a two-out double. He’d later add a walk and a single. Haren held the Braves hitless until the fourth and was really cruising (less than ten pitches per inning) until Dan Uggla took him deep in the seventh and the Braves made him make 21 pitches in the eighth. Although he was only at ninety through eight, Rafael Soriano came in and got the save.