Three Observations From Guardians Loss To Tigers, 1-0

The Cleveland Guardians dropped their first of four games with the Detroit Tigers this week, 1-0. Yes, this was a tough loss considering the Guardians were shut out, but there were still some positives to take away.

Let’s get into three observations and takeaways from Monday night's game. 

Gavin Williams’ Strong Start

Gavin Williams’ second start of the season was much more efficient than his first. 

He only threw 4.0 innings in last week's debut, and while the velocity and spin rate was there, he gave up five earned runs in that appearance. That wasn’t the same story on Monday. Williams pitched 5.0 innings, striking out five, gave up just four hits, and issued one walk. 

This start can give the Guardians fans a little more hope for the rotation as the front office works to find a solution to their lack of starters. 

Rare Error Hurts Guardians

Brayan Rocchio has been statistically one of the best defenders in baseball this season. His effort in the field has been a massive surprise, and at times, it has made up for his lack of offense at the plate.

However, he’s not perfect, and a rare error from the Guardians' shortstop ultimately hurt them.

Mark Canha hit a soft ground ball to Rocchio in the eighth inning, which was a tailor-made double play and should’ve ended the inning. But Rocchio was thinking too far ahead and missed the ball with his glove, allowing Jake Rogers to score the only run of the game.

No, Cleveland’s loss cannot solely be put on the shoulders of Rocchio as the offense only recorded three hits on the night.

Angel Martienz’s Impact

Two of Cleveland’s three hits came from their two-hole hitter, Angel Martinez. 

Even in a game where the Guardians struggled, Martinez found a way to make his impact felt. He provided a spark in the lineup, but Cleveland was never able to build off of it. Martinez also made an impressive over-the-shoulder catch in center field, which is a position he's still learning.

There truly is a lot to like about what the 22-year-old has to offer and it's hard for Vogt to take him out of the lineup right now.