Guardians' train starts moving when Myles Straw gets on base | Jeff Schudel
Apr. 7—Which player in the Guardians' lineup has been the spark to the team's early success in 2023? If you haven't been paying close attention to what the team did in Seattle and Oakland to return from the West Coast 5-2, Steven Kwan's answer might come as a surprise — Myles Straw.
Straw won a Gold Glove last season for his defensive prowess in center field, but he batted a meager .221 — 27 points below his career batting average. Eight games into the new season, Straw is leading the Guardians with a .360 batting average. He was 1-for-3 in the home opener with the Mariners on April 7 at Progressive Field. His six walks are tied with Josh Bell for second on the team in that category, one behind Jose Ramirez' seven free passes. Straw had a team-most five stolen bases.
"I have a lot of RBI (a team-high of eight) that I don't normally have,' Kwan said in a pregame news conference. "I joke around that I'm going to have to buy him a meal one of these days.
"It's huge, especially with him being a menace on the bases. He's getting on first base, and the next thing you know he's on second or third. The pitcher is obviously focusing on him and not so much on me, and that gives me an advantage as well. It definitely adds to the flow of the lineup. It's a huge asset."
This isn't like the old days when the pitcher always batted ninth because he was the worst hitter in the lineup. Guardians manager Terry Francona wants Straw batting ninth for precisely what Straw is doing now. Straw likely won't sustain a .300 batting average, but he will continue to draw walks, and he will be a threat to steal every time he gets on base. The new rules that limit a pitcher to two pickoff attempts are tailor-made for Straw to swipe bases.
"He generally hits ninth because it can turn the lineup over and give you almost like that second leadoff guy," Francona said. "Myles has been playing with a lot of energy. I never saw him take it to the outfield as bad as (Straw's hitting) last year got, but now having him contribute offensively is a big boost for us."
Straw lashed a two-out single to left field in the bottom of the fourth inning in the opener to extend the Guardians' lead to 3-0. The Mariners answered with two runs in the top of the fifth off Cleveland starting pitcher Aaron Civale.
The Mariners scored three more times in the sixth inning. A two-run home run by 2022 American League Rookie of the Year Julio Rodriguez off Nick Sandlin broke a 3-3 tie.
The Guardians' only hit after Straw's RBI single was a double by Andres Gimenez in the bottom of the sixth inning. The Guardians struck out 13 times on a chilly afternoon.
"There's a reason they (the Mariners) think they're going to be good," Francona said. "That (bullpen) is part of it."
The Guardians will try to even up the series on April 8 at Progressive Field when Cal Quantrill gets the start for the 6 p.m. game. Lefty Marco Gonzalez is scheduled to start for Seattle
