Pitching coach Carl Willis working out kinks in Guardians' rotation | Jeff Schudel
May 17—Takeaways from the game played by the Reds and Guardians on May 17 at Progressive Field:
Acting manager Carl Willis has had a busy seven days earning his paycheck from the Guardians.
Willis has been in charge since regular manager Terry Francona tested positive for COVID-19 on May 11 when the Guardians were in Chicago to play the White Sox. While making the decisions any manager must make routinely, Willis' primary job is still pitching coach, although Brian Sweeney has taken on the title of pitching coach because of the COVID outbreak.
As the season nears 40 games (the Guardians took a 16-17 record into their game with Cincinnati on May 17), marking the first quarter of the season, the starting rotation has not been as dominant as it was projected to be.
Zach Plesac was 1-3 with a 4.68 ERA in six starts before facing the Reds. He was on the losing end of a 4-1 score on May 10 in a game with the White Sox in his previous start.
"Prior to the Chicago start, we sat down with Zach and looked over some video," Willis said in his pregame news conference May 17. "He had a really strong work day on a Friday going into the (Tuesday) start. Actually had him touch the mound again for 15 pitches on Sunday, and I felt like that delivery work morphed into his delivery. The velocity ticked up a mile and a half, two miles per hour. His slider looked really, really good.
"He made one mistake with it to Gavin Sheets (Sheets hit a three-run home run), and it cost him. But definitely I thought he looked much more like himself or the Zach Plesac of old that we had seen up to that point. Hopefully he'll build off that again tonight."
Plesac was sharp against the weak-hitting Reds. He allowed two runs over six innings. He gave up six hits, one a home run to Tyler Naquin, and gave way to Bryan Shaw with the Guardians trailing, 2-1.
Aaron Civale is 1-3 with a 9.85 ERA. He is scheduled to make his next start on May 20 when the Guardians host the Tigers. Willis is trying to get Civale straightened out, too. Civale's 27 earned runs are the most allowed in the major leagues. He has coughed up six home runs in 24 2/3 innings.
"He's been in the league now for a couple years, three years," Willis said. "He's never struggled, and obviously this is a tough stretch he's going through. It's very difficult that first time.
"Everyone is going to struggle. Everyone is going to struggle more than once throughout their career, but that first time it can weigh on you a little bit until you get out of it, and he's doing everything from a physical, fundamental and mental side to get on top of this and get out of this and I think that's going to happen."
Willis said Civale's curve balls and cutters are catching too much of the plate. Opposing batters are pouncing on his mistakes.
Civale was 12-5 with a 3.84 ERA last season.
Shane Bieber gave up seven earned runs in 3 1/3 innings on May 7 in a game with the Blue Jays. He was hard on himself after that, and then responded by allowing one run over six innings on May 14 when the Guardians nipped the Twins, 3-2.
—Francona has to remain isolated as he recovers from COVID, but that doesn't prevent him from being part of the team.
"As you can imagine I talk to Tito quite often — a few times today," Willis said. "He's feeling much better. I think he's ready. It's just a matter of when his numbers or the negative tests come in that he's cleared to rejoin us. But he's feeling much better."
Hitting coach Chris Valaika posted two negative tests and was allowed to rejoin the team, but first base coach Sandy Alomar Jr., third base coach Mike Sarbaugh and bench coach DeMarlo Hale remain in the COVID protocol.
John McDonald coached first base and Kyle Hudson coached third base May 17. Mike Barnett was the bench coach.
—Designated hitter Franmil Reyes is dealing with a personal situation and was not in the Guardians' starting lineup May 17. He has been a completely different hitter at home this season. He is hitting .405 at Progressive Field (15 hits in 37 at bats with two home runs) but only .114 on the road (nine hits in 79 at bats, one home run).
"I don't have an explanation," Willis said. "Tito and I talked about that this morning. Not being a hitting coach, or a manager so to speak,. I think you've seen that happen with players, their home-road splits being a little different.
"If we knew the secret to the equation to make an adjustment, we would. I don't have an explanation. He goes out and does the best job he can do every day, and that's appreciated."
Reyes batted as a pinch hitter for catcher Austin Hedges in the bottom of the eighth inning May 17 and walked. Ernie Clement replaced Reyes as a pinch runner and was left stranded when the inning ended with the Guardians trailing, 3-2.
