July 4, 2026 • 38 mins
A look back at the Guards back to back walk-off winners over the visiting Chicago White Sox. Plus, Chase DeLauter and David Fry sit down with Rosey to talk about their recent success at the plate. Also, the weekly Farm Report with V.P. of Player Development Stephen Osterer who fills us in on the happenings in Lake County. That's all on this edition of Guardians Weekly with Jim Rosenhaus on the Cleveland Guardians Radio Network.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to Guardians Weekly on the Cleveland Guardians Radio Network.
Guardians Weekly is brought to you by Progressive helping Guardians
fans save hundreds on car insurance.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
HI Reward. Welcome to Guardians Weekly. Jim Rosen House along
with you from Progressive Field in downtown Cleveland, where the
Guardians are at the tail end of what is a
ten game homestand three teams, including the Chicago White Sox
here on this fourth of July weekend and what a
series that has been so far. More on that in
(01:12):
just a moment. A little bit later on in our show,
we'll hear from Chase de Laudard, Guardians outfielders back in
the fold after a brief stay on the injured list,
and he has swung the bat well David Fry, who's
contributed nicely for the Guardians as well. And we'll have
a full Minor league report focusing on single A Lake
County with Vice President of Player Development Stephen Osterer. But
(01:35):
first our weekend review, and we begin on Monday a
loss to the Texas Rangers in the series opener six
to three, and the Rangers did it again on Tuesday night,
handing the Guardians afforded to defeat, but the Guardians would
salvage the finale of that series on Wednesday afternoon. They
got the scoring started in the second inning on singles
(01:56):
from Brian Rochio and Gabriel Arius, putting runners on the
corner with one out for Austin Hedges. Now the one
safety squeeze out towards the mound. Gore comes up with
the shovels to the plate het first slide.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
Rochio's safe ball squirts away from Daz, but the runner
stayed put Arius ad second Hedges at first. On a
bang bang play at the plate, McKenzie Gore got off
the mound kind of like a quarterback on the option,
shoveled it to home plate and Rochio got there ahead
(02:30):
of the throw, and then the ball got free of
Diaz and the Guardians have a one nothing laid on
a safety squeeze bun and Austin Hedges so good at
that Harius later scored on a wild pitch to make
it to nothing, and then still with two men on,
David Fry stepped in McKenzie gore hands just below the chest,
(02:52):
sets fires swung on hit high in the end of
deep right Durran's back track wall. David Fry gets that
most needed huge him a three run home run to right.
(03:12):
It's a five run inning, Cleveland, five Texas nothing, and
David Fry with his fifth home run, giving him twelve
rvy eyes. And when that ball got up in the air,
it just kept carrying.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
Texas got on the board in the third inning, scoring
a run on a basis loaded walk from Joey Cantillo,
but that would be it. As Kintillo battled to keep
the Rangers from getting any closer. Jake Berger steps in
with the bases empty. Here's the pitch and it swung
on and tapped it first up with it, Hoskins flips
to Cantillo in time for the out and another quick
(03:51):
inning for Joey Cantillo as he's worked five and as
we head to the bottom of the fifth, it's five
to one Cleveland. The bullpen took over for Cantillo in
the sixth, and the Rangers got a little closer, scoring
twice to make it a five to three ball game.
But then in the seventh, the first two Texas hitters
reached and it took some good defense from the Guardians
(04:14):
to keep the lead.
Speaker 3 (04:16):
Duran and second Burger at first, Cleveland up two. The
pitch swing on, bounced up the middle to his right,
club By Schieman, club flip to second, one, Rochio turns
two down the inning. Daniel sneaming at second on the
ball hit up the middle, going to his right pack
can't it Graham a club flip to second, and Rocchio
(04:38):
turned two to in the inning, So.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
The Guardians are trying to pad that lead. In the
bottom of the seventh, Stephen Kuan got things started with
a lead off triple and then Chase the latter stepped
in the.
Speaker 4 (04:49):
Pitch and he rips one in the right.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
There's an Arbi hit and the latter with a three
hit game rby I number thirty eight tops club and
Cleveland's got a six to three lead.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
De Laughter later scored on a wild pitch to make
it seven to three. Texas got one of those runs
back with a solo home run in the top half
of the eighth inning, but in the bottom of the eighth,
Austin Hedges removed any doubt. Batting with a man on.
Speaker 4 (05:18):
He sends one high, he sends it deep to left.
Speaker 3 (05:22):
There she goes gone.
Speaker 4 (05:26):
A two run home run.
Speaker 3 (05:28):
To the bleachers and left number two for Austin Henches
this year and Cleveland's got a nine to four lead.
Here in the eighth, four hundred foot flass to the
bleachers and left.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
For hedges, and with that five run lead, Matt Festa
was on to finish things up. In the ninth, Jake
Berger dinging in hits one high and deep to left.
Speaker 4 (05:54):
Kuan is back Quan on the track.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
Kuan makes the catch ballgame and the Guardians get a
much needed win and climbed it within a game of
first place Chicago, with the Socks here for four starting
tomorrow night.
Speaker 4 (06:09):
Guardians winning today nine to four.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
So that win against the Rangers set the table for
a big series against the Chicago White Sox, four games
against the top club in the American League Central Division,
with the Guardians just a game back of the White
Sox in the standings heading into Thursday series opener. The
Guardians were first on the scoreboard in the third inning,
Patrick Bailey with a lead off double and then with
(06:36):
one out, Travis Pasana delivered the pitch and it.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
Swung it written to right near the line base it head.
I'll get down and go to the wall. The sun
on Nsuena second head, first line on double in the
score is Bailey won nothing Cleveland and two terrific advance
for Travis Posanna.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
His twelfth double is twenty sixth Darby I. Later in
the third, Brian Rochio drew a bass loaded walk, scoring
Bizana to make it to nothing. But in the fifth,
the red hot Chicago offense got going. A three run
fifth put the Socks in front, then two more in
the sixth, and all of a sudden it was five
to two Chicago. However, in the bottom of the sixth,
(07:20):
the Guardians responded. Gabrielarius singled and then two walks loaded
the bases with just one out for de Laughter.
Speaker 3 (07:28):
The one too swung on a high chopper to first
charge dead first club by the first baseman. Gonzales steps
on the bag, throws home, got the out at first,
but no chance to get Arius, and it's a five
to three game on de Laughter's Groundolf.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
Then in the seventh, with two outs, pinch hitter David
Fry stepped in.
Speaker 3 (07:49):
Fry with a long drive deep left on it sway
to the Portchin go David Fry with a pinchet home
run to the porch and left and it's a one
run game. Chicago now leads five to four. Here in
the seventh inning.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
Tim Herron shut down the Socks in the top of
the ninth and it was still five to for Chicago.
With one last chance for the Guardians, Rhys Hoskins reached,
drawing a walk to start the bottom of the ninth,
and with one out, Brian Rochio stood in the set
the pants, swinging hit high.
Speaker 5 (08:26):
Hind to right down the line.
Speaker 4 (08:30):
Fair ball home run, walk off.
Speaker 3 (08:34):
Winner Brian Roko with a mob scene about to unveil
and some at.
Speaker 4 (08:42):
Home play, I'm towering blast.
Speaker 3 (08:46):
Down the right field line and Cleveland gets a walk off,
two run home run from Brian Rogiota stun the White
Sox by a final score of six to five. Brian
Rocchio's second career walk off home run, his second walk
(09:09):
off hit of the year, Cleveland's only two walk off wins.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
How what a finish, What a moment for Brian Rochio,
giving the Guardians the six to five victory and setting
the table for more dramatics on Friday Night. Once again,
it was the Guardian striking first. A couple of walks
to start the third inning. Stephen Kwan laid down a
bunt to move the runners up to second and third,
(09:36):
and then it was Travis Pizana coming through the next.
Speaker 3 (09:39):
Offering swung on line the center. That's a ace hit,
it'll score. Arius Heads his steps at third and Travis
Bisana a two hit game last night and an RBI
single to center puts Cleveland on top one to nothing
RBI number twenty seven for Travis Basanna. Going into that
(10:02):
a bat was hitting one fifty to two against left
handed pitching.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
It stayed one nothing until the fifth, when Chicago's Miguel
Vargas hit his twentieth home run of the season, a
three run shot, and the White Sox took a three
to one lead. Moments later, the rains came, a nearly
two hour rain delay before play resumed, and when it did,
the Guardians got right back in it. A couple of
walks in the seventh, and with two men out, Austin
(10:31):
Hedges made the White Sox pay no.
Speaker 4 (10:34):
One to zero. Swung on grounded in the hole on
the left.
Speaker 3 (10:37):
Side off the glove of Montgomery, kicks into shallow left
into scores Hoskins stopping a second is Rochio hard to
hit ball in the hole on the left side of
the infield. Montgomery going toward third with the Badcandon temp
ball kicked off his club rolled into shallow left army
(10:57):
I single frostin hedges, and the next batter, Stephen Kwan
even things up two down two.
Speaker 4 (11:04):
On Cleveland, down a run, the pinch swinging.
Speaker 3 (11:07):
A little looping liner towards the line and left fair
ball basin. Brochio coming home to score overrunning the ball
as Antonaci in the third is Hitches in the second
is Kwan. We are tied at three, and the two
walks that Domingus issued here in the seventh have cussed
(11:30):
the White Sox a pair of runs.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
It's stayed tied at three through nine innings, and onto
extra innings we went. Eric Sabrowski did great work in
the top of the tenth to keep Chicago off the
board and giving the Guardians a chance for another walk
off win. Stephen Kwan was the runner at second to
start the inning. Travis Bizana singled to move Kwan to third,
and then Kalia Watson came to the plate with nobody out.
Speaker 4 (11:56):
Left on left the cent the pinch a swinging a
bang job up the middle.
Speaker 3 (12:03):
Basic centerfield, Kalio Watson with his first major league walk
off game winner, and for back to back nights, the
Guardians have walked off the Chicago White Sox. Last night
they win it in nine. Tonight they win it in
(12:24):
ten and Khalil Watson what a rookie start to his
major league career, Army nine, number nine in just his
fifteenth game, and the Guardians have taken over sole possession
of first place in the American League Central. They win
(12:46):
it tonight by a final score of four to three.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
Way to start to this four game series between the
Guardians and the White Sox, and it continues Saturday night
at seven ten and Sunday afternoon at two. Stay with us,
We'll have more to come after this.
Speaker 6 (13:07):
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Speaker 5 (13:12):
I can't believe the deal we got.
Speaker 6 (13:13):
At least seats for the game.
Speaker 5 (13:14):
Wow, they must be pretty high up here.
Speaker 7 (13:16):
I think my ears just popped.
Speaker 5 (13:17):
You shall put this on?
Speaker 4 (13:19):
Is that an oxygen mask? An official team oxygen mask?
Speaker 3 (13:22):
Well?
Speaker 4 (13:22):
I can kind of see the field. Two undred six
is are still sharp. It's gonna Needa for Phase two
of your sent.
Speaker 6 (13:29):
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Speaker 2 (13:47):
Welcome back to Guardians Weekly. Cheir morosen House back with
you from Progressive Field in downtown Cleveland, where the Guardians
are taking on the White Sox this weekend Saturday night
seven ten and then Sunday afternoon at two pm to
close out the series and the home stand for the
Guardians their longest home stand of the season. Chase the latter,
(14:07):
has been swinging the bat extremely well since coming off
a short stay on the injured list just under two weeks.
He was on the il with a rib issue. We
caught up with him earlier this week and asked him
if he's been surprised at how quickly he's been able
to get back up to speed after missing time.
Speaker 5 (14:24):
Yeah.
Speaker 8 (14:25):
I mean, you know, I feel like I put in
some good work over that little break and rehab. You know,
of course, you can't really emulate live pitching without just
going and facing live pitching, which I hadn't really done
a whole bunch. I mean, we had the traject machine inside,
but outside of the live of bats, you know, I
was fully up to speed with you know, defense, running
(14:45):
the bases, even sliding and stuff while the team was
kind of away. So yeah, I definitely felt ready to
get back out there. You know, I think it took
a second for me to recognize, you know, just the
ball out of hand again, you know, a picture working
down the mound and kind of throwing at you. But
you know, outside of that, you know, things felt great.
It felt great to be back out there with the guys,
(15:05):
kind of in that compete mode again. Had a nice,
nice god adrenaline rush before the game, so it was nice.
Speaker 2 (15:10):
And I know you're I don't want to say be careful,
because you can't play this game being careful, but you
had to play at the plate where you're sliding in
or trying to figure out the best way to get there.
Did some things go through your head saying, hey, first
game back, here we go.
Speaker 4 (15:23):
Not quite.
Speaker 8 (15:24):
It was an interesting one though, where I came around
third base and saw the bat laying right in front
of home plate, so kind of a weird play where
there wasn't wasn't a whole lot of room for me
to make a clean slide. It was almost like the
bat was lying right where I would start my slide. So, yeah,
I was a weird one at the play yesterday. I
was just glad I kind of kind of got in there.
(15:44):
Neither me or the catcher were harmed, and you know,
I was able to get the run across. You know,
I think if the play was a little bit cleaner,
I might have had me beat. So I'm kind of
kind of glad it worked out the way it did.
But yeah, yeah, all good, all good. I wouldn't say
I'm I wouldn't say I'm cautious of it or thinking
about it. In the game Chase, you missed some time,
but considering the background and having a chance to to
(16:07):
not play for two weeks, is there any bus side
to that, just from your overall body feeling at this
point in a season.
Speaker 4 (16:15):
Yeah, of course.
Speaker 8 (16:16):
I mean, you know, anytime you kind of have the
short break where it's not too long of a break
to have a you know, a big build up, it's
it's kind of nice and I don't you know, of course,
I don't wish anyone goes into rehab, you know, for
any reason to take that break. But haven't played you know,
the most amount of games I think I've ever played
in a season up to that point. You know, I
wouldn't say I was you know, itching for you know,
(16:38):
time down or anything like that, but you know, having
it coming back, you know, the legs feel fresh again.
It's it's almost like I had that little a little
cool down into a to a build back up. And
of course we got the the All Star break coming
up soon, so that'll be a nice break for everybody.
But yeah, you know, it definitely refreshes the legs, kind
of refreshes the mindset a little bit and kind of
go from there.
Speaker 2 (16:58):
And team wise, you allude to it, just wanted to
be back with the guys. Uh, what is it about
this team? Because you're not the only one who says that,
what's it about this team?
Speaker 8 (17:06):
Just a fun group, man, Like we have a great
mix of oter guys veterans here, and then of course
you know nice young core here that we've all kind
of played with each other a good bit. So it's
it's almost like we're coming up and then being led
by the guys that have been around, and you know
it's a it's a fun group to combine.
Speaker 4 (17:23):
Chase.
Speaker 2 (17:23):
Thanks for the time, Alway, good Dad, you appreciate it.
Speaker 5 (17:25):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
Man has chased a Lauder and what a rookie season
he has had as he got off to that unbelievably
hot start right at the beginning at the season opener
in Seattle and then that first series in Seattle, and
he has been solid since and now really swinging a
hot bat of late for the Guardians. Stay with us
when we come back, we'll hear from utility man David Fry.
(17:47):
That's next Cleveland Clinic Radio Network Guardians Weekly, continuing from
(18:14):
Progressive Field in downtown Cleveland, where we had a chance
to catch up with David Fry earlier this week.
Speaker 4 (18:20):
He's had a big week at the plate.
Speaker 2 (18:22):
Three run home run in the series finale against Texas
on Wednesday at the Key to five run rally in
a win, and then the next night another home run
that rallied the club to a walk off win over
the White Sox. We talked to him after the first
of his two home runs and he explained just how
good it feels to see the hard work that he's
(18:42):
been putting in finally start to pay off with results.
Speaker 8 (18:45):
Yeah. Obviously, anytime you get some results, it's a good feeling.
Like you said, just been putting in the work and
trying to just give Grady bats anytime. I'm in there
and trying to trust my plan and my approach and
was able to get a ball. It was a good
day to hit yesterday. Ball was kind of flying, So yeah,
it was a falling especially getting a huge lead early too,
given given Joey. A five run lead early was big.
(19:06):
With all the one run games we've been playing, we
needed h I wouldn't say a relaxing game, but to
the way we play, it felt like a huge lead.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
You mentioned relaxing and hitting with men in scoring position
can be a challenge and they always say, well.
Speaker 4 (19:20):
Just relax.
Speaker 2 (19:21):
How hard is that though, when when you really have
to put it in play.
Speaker 8 (19:24):
Yeah, it's I mean, yeah, it's very much easier said
than done. I think it's one of those things that
kind of comes and goes in spurts. Obviously, the pitcher's
kinda he's got to do everything he can to get
you to swing and miss, or get you to pop
up or something. I think more than anything, it's just
sticking with your approach. Everybody wants to be the guy
and be the guy to drive in a run. It's
(19:44):
just stick with your approach, take the result out of it,
and usually good things come from that.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
And life is continuing without Jose Ramirez, without on Hell Martinez.
What's the key to still being productive and scoring enough
runs to win games?
Speaker 8 (19:57):
Yeah, I think it's just that. I think it's trusting
and your playing your approach and who you are, Like,
nobody's gonna just all this sudden snap their fingers and
take Jose spot or Angel spot and do what they do.
I think it's everybody just doing what they do best
and staying in that role. I think when you try
to do too much, obviously, bad things can happen. And
I think you've seen we've had. We've shown some games
(20:18):
where like guys just take their bats and any one
of us have have had the ability to leave the
yard anytime. So just yeah, putting together good at bats
and not trying to replace them.
Speaker 2 (20:28):
Joined by David Frye and you channeled your inner gold gloves.
Stephen Kwan in left field yesterday with a tremendous catch
and you've had a couple in the outfield, and how
proud were you of that great play that that really
was Quan like in left field.
Speaker 8 (20:45):
Yeah, I was happy about it. I didn't take the
best route to it. Probably could have got to it
stating it up, but yeah it was. I was giving
Kwanti a hard time telling them to take notes and
everything like that.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
When you look at at moving around and playing in
the outfield, I know you work at it. We're recording
this a couple hours before game time, and how much
do you move around and try and figure out how
to stay sharp at different positions?
Speaker 8 (21:07):
Yeah, I think that's the thing. Is just like pregame work.
I try to catch as much as I can in
the cages or in bullpens. Me and Reecee usually every
day game will go out and take ground balls at
shorter third, not that we're gonna go out and play shortstop,
but just like sting athletic, getting those reps of like okay,
if I can do this, I can go play first,
I can go play third, and then taking outfield reps everywhere.
(21:29):
So whatever weird scenario comes up, we're prepared for. And
it's not just oh I hope this goes, well, all.
Speaker 2 (21:35):
Right, and you're doing this on a really hot day.
But you've got the Texas background, Louisiana background. Is this
really that hot?
Speaker 8 (21:43):
Oh, it's not that bad where like there's enough of
a breeze to make it not that bad. It's like
the South Texas and Louisiana where it's like muggy, humid
and there's no breeze, where it feels like you're in
an oven. Those are the worst days. This isn't too terrible.
I take this over cold any day.
Speaker 2 (21:58):
Keys though yesterday was a game in this was a
pretty challenging.
Speaker 8 (22:02):
Uh, yes and no, Like, yeah, it's hot, but everybody's prepared,
like we just say, hydrated, and I think the only
time that thing can kind of like sneak up on you.
Obviously it's a little tougher if you're catching or pitching,
but if you're not hydrated, then yeah, it's gonna stink.
But I think everybody's doing a good job trainer to
take care of us. And you played a White Sox tonight.
(22:22):
You had him last week in Chicago.
Speaker 2 (22:25):
Excitement level coming into a series with the two top
teams in the division. How enjoyable is that? As a player.
Speaker 4 (22:31):
Yeah, it's cool.
Speaker 8 (22:32):
Anytime you're playing an indivision opponent obviously feels a little
like there's a little more to it. And obviously these
guys are playing really good and you're gonna have to
play some good ball to beat them. And but it'll
be a fun series. They got a young team, We
got a young team, so I think we probably still
got like ten to twelve more with these guys. But yeah,
it'll be fun to play them. David as always, thanks
for coming by. Yeah, appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (22:51):
Rosie at utility man David Frye, who yet will be
a key for this team offensively. You figure that in
the second half of this season. Stay with us when
we come back. It's a full minor league report. That's
next on the Cleveland Clinic Radio Network.
Speaker 6 (23:10):
Progressive presents Wyte to save money that aren't bundling your
ome and auto insurance with Progressive.
Speaker 3 (23:15):
Thanks again for taking me to the game, man, I
can't wait to get in there.
Speaker 4 (23:19):
By the way, what's in the bag?
Speaker 2 (23:20):
Oh, I bring my own hot dog and peanuts saves
a ton, ah sabby and what about the beach chairs?
Why buy seats when you can save big and.
Speaker 5 (23:26):
Bring your own.
Speaker 4 (23:27):
We can't get in without tickets. Tickets, what do you
think the portable TV is for?
Speaker 6 (23:32):
Don't save money pretending to go to the game. You
could save on hundreds. Vice witching to Progressive got a
quote at Progressive dot com. Progression Casualty Insurance coming you.
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Speaker 4 (23:50):
Welcome back.
Speaker 2 (23:50):
It's Guardians Weekly from Progressive Field in downtown Cleveland. Jim
rosenhouse along with you this weekend and we had a
chance to visit with Stephen Ostro, the Vice presient send
in a player development for the Guardians our weekly look
at the farm system, and this week with Osti, we
talked about Lake County and started with a pitcher who's
been recently promoted to double A acron. His name is
(24:13):
Brayln Dody, and you'll certainly want to keep track of
that name as we talked about the progress that Dody
has made that led to his promotion to double A acron.
Speaker 7 (24:23):
Yeah, Braylean was excellent in the first half and you know,
as you noted, we just recently promoted him and now
I think he's the second youngest pitcher in Double A
across baseball, so pretty aggressive, but he did, he did
earn it. You know, we talked I think earlier a
few times about how, you know, we get these.
Speaker 5 (24:44):
Really young pitchers. We try to set the foundation for
the long term.
Speaker 7 (24:47):
Success and establishing routines being a part of that, preparing
themselves for the week, for the game, knowing themselves all
those things, and try to try to overcome that before
really digging in and making big sweeping changes on the
arsenal or the delivery or things like that that are
maybe tick more technical. Braillan crushed a lot of that
(25:08):
last year, like we talked about, and then spent this
time in the offseason in the early parts of this
year just working on his arsenal, working on his pitchmates.
You know, now he's got a little bit more of
a balanced approach that he can deploy against both sides
of the plate, and Brillians has taken onto that really well.
It's allowed him to have maybe a little bit more
(25:28):
of the tools to go and strike guys out, which
I think in the past he has certainly a couple
of pitches to lean on, but now he's got more
to throw against the guys and with that and gaining
a little bit more velocity. We've seen that tick up recently.
I think he's been up to ninety eight so far
this year, which is a nice sign. And you know,
put a package that all together, and he's generating a
(25:50):
lot more with and he's an elite strike thrower. I
think he was in like the ninety ninth percentile and
in strikes at the level again being really even for Hyas.
So you know, you put that all together. He dominated
the first half and I think it was just time
for him to be challenged again.
Speaker 5 (26:09):
And you know, hopefully moving up a level.
Speaker 7 (26:11):
Will highlight some more blind sides for him and narrow
the focus for what to do moving forward. But we've
been really excited about Briellan's development in the off season
and then again through the first half.
Speaker 2 (26:22):
And one more picture for this week, and I hope
I get his name right. Ken Degley's Virguez out of Venezuela.
It looks like he's working out of the pen, and
what are you seeing from him?
Speaker 5 (26:32):
Yeah, he got it mostly right, We got it. You know,
he's a tough one.
Speaker 7 (26:37):
Brounce, and yeah, Verguis is not a name that we've
talked about a ton or if at all, and he
was an international sign and.
Speaker 5 (26:46):
It's been with us since I think twenty two.
Speaker 7 (26:48):
But you struggled with injury, missed a lot of time,
if not I think almost all of last year for
the most part.
Speaker 5 (26:55):
But he's healthy and doing quite well now. Out of
the pen. He's he's a big right he throws really
really hard.
Speaker 7 (27:02):
He's a two pitch guy mostly, but you know, lean's
heavily on a fastball that sits ninety eight. We've seen
him up to one hundred and one, and he's got
an upper eighty slider. So the challenge in the past
for him has been how do I harness all of
that while staying healthy?
Speaker 5 (27:16):
How do I get that in the zone and.
Speaker 7 (27:18):
Do that consistently, which he's done a nice job of.
He's got his walk right down. It's not necessarily exactly
where he'd want it to be, of course, you know,
he's a young guy, throws really hard and we can't
expect him to throw everything exactly where we want him to.
Speaker 5 (27:31):
But he's come a long way and it's showing really
really nice signs of development this year.
Speaker 7 (27:37):
Just to project maybe where this guy could be in
the future, as a bullpen arm, but he's got really
electric stuff. I think there's still some development on, you know,
creating a better fastball shape. Maybe maybe it's two fastballs
in the future. But you know, another guy that we're
really excited about the steps that he's taken, and he's
got an engine to throw, you know, as hard as
(27:58):
anyone that we've had in our system in a while.
Speaker 5 (28:01):
So Verguies has been a nice story for us this year.
Speaker 2 (28:06):
And your position player crew there, it's it's the draft
of twenty twenty five. All these big college kids and
it looks like they're really starting to come along. And
let's start with Nolan Schubart. Gosh, you look at the
home runs runs, bat it in ops, all that good
stuff for power and it seems like it's really coming
along for him.
Speaker 8 (28:25):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (28:26):
I mean, this whole package of offense at the Lake
County level is really fun to watch, and Shuebart's been
a big part of that the last month. I mean,
he's been good all year, but he's really taking a
step forward in terms of his production in the last
month on a real heater. Right now, he's leading the
ORG with seventeen home runs. You know, he's working really
(28:48):
hard and has been this year on just some slight
swing adjustments. The path of the bat is maybe a
little bit steep it, you know, maybe hinders him a
tick from being able to get to pitches the top
of the zone, and we're trying to just get him
to be.
Speaker 5 (29:03):
Able to cover more of the zone to limit the whiff.
I mean, the power is off the charts.
Speaker 7 (29:08):
When he gets a hold of one, it goes a
really long way, and he seems to do that with ease.
It's just how do we get him to make more
consistent contact and cover different parts of the zone and
the plate. And you know, he's a tremendous worker. He's
a great kid, and he's all in on on trying
to do that. And we've seen some positive progress this year.
And yeah, I mean he has dominated the level offensively,
(29:32):
and you know, we've started to give him some time
in the outfield as well. He played some of that
in college, so nixing in first base outfield, giving him
reps across the diamond and you know, just the offensive side.
Speaker 5 (29:43):
I don't think with him or any.
Speaker 7 (29:45):
Guys that are trying to make you know, a path
adjustment is it's an easy path or an easy development
to make, but he has made some stride so far
this year, and like I said, he's got the engine
to hit all really, really far.
Speaker 2 (30:01):
So he's fun to watch and last year's first round
draft pick for the Guardians. Jacelabolette, I know it took
him a little bit to get going, but you're seeing
good progress there as he gets deeper into his season.
Speaker 5 (30:13):
Yeah, he settled in to your point. There are a
few slow weeks at the start.
Speaker 7 (30:18):
Of the year, but Jase just continues to show a
lot of the upside that we saw him Draft Day.
He's just incredibly athletic. He does things on the diamond
that I think a lot of other players wish they could.
You know, he can hit the ball four hundred and
fifty plus feet over the batting cages in Redfield and
Lake County, which doesn't happen very often.
Speaker 5 (30:38):
He's got a really good arm. He's one of the
fastest players we have.
Speaker 7 (30:42):
I mean, he just does things out there that he
kind of stopped and marvel at at times. And the
similar Ish team to what we talked about with Schubert,
but you know, guy who's got plus power and trying
to limit the whiff and make it, make a swing adjustment,
and you know, just try to be more consistent with contact.
And that's been a thing for him this year, and
(31:02):
you know, he's bought in a ton, he understands the
mission of what he's trying to do, and I think
we've seen some progress there.
Speaker 5 (31:09):
But again, this is something that's not going to just
change overnight.
Speaker 7 (31:13):
It's going to take, you know, a lot of time
and effort, and it could take multiple years or in
to make the improvement that he would need.
Speaker 5 (31:20):
To be consistent at the play.
Speaker 7 (31:22):
But again, the tools are, you know, things that we
don't have across the system. When you just zoom out
a look at what Jase can do as a baseball player,
it's incredible. He's really competitive. We knew that coming in
the draft of Leaves and him battle through things already
this year and just want to play and is as
competitive as anyone we've seen. So it's just a steady
(31:44):
path forward for him to try to make some of
the swing adjustment that we're looking for and just know
that the talent is undeniable and we're hoping that he
can continue to make the progress that he needs to
make to help us eventually at the big league level.
Speaker 2 (31:57):
And how about Dean Curley, the infielder who also drafted
last year out of Tennessee. What are you seeing from
him as he gets deeper into his season.
Speaker 7 (32:05):
Yeah, a lot of the same of what we saw
before with the offensive profile. Sorry, just super patient at
the plate and maybe super super patient. I mean, I
think he's got one of the lowest swing rates in
the entire minor leagues at this point, which has led
to a really.
Speaker 5 (32:21):
High walk rate. I mean, hey has a good eye,
so there's that part of it as well.
Speaker 7 (32:26):
But you know, we've been working on more of an
aggressive mindset, maybe hunt more pitches, and yeah, I think
when he does get it, he can.
Speaker 5 (32:33):
Really do some damage. Yeah.
Speaker 7 (32:35):
I think the biggest thing, honestly for Dean over the
last month has just continued to be the defense.
Speaker 5 (32:40):
He's played a ton of shortstop this year.
Speaker 7 (32:43):
We'll talk about maybe well in Francisca being hurt and
that opening up opportunities for him. But when we drafted him,
we you know, there were questions about what position is
he gonna end up playing, and we don't love the forecast.
Speaker 5 (32:53):
The answer to that.
Speaker 7 (32:54):
We like to give guys experiences and figure it out
over time, knowing we're not good enough to project everything
to the nth degree, so we gave him a ton
of shortstop reps so far this year just to better
gauge where he is.
Speaker 5 (33:07):
As an athlete on the diamond. And he's shown really
good instincts.
Speaker 7 (33:11):
He's shown really good moves and ranges that maybe we're
better than we anticipated.
Speaker 5 (33:16):
But the biggest thing has just been.
Speaker 7 (33:17):
Tackling the throwing, the accuracy, and trying to get his
slot at the appropriate height to be more consistent with
throws in different plays. So we've seen improvements there. I
think we've been pleasantly surprised about what he could become.
Potentially is a shortstop still in play for us right now,
(33:37):
and if you just look up and see maybe some
of the errors or some of the throws and.
Speaker 5 (33:43):
Stuff that we don't think that tells a whole story
by any means. And we've got a really athletic player
who can swing from the right side and has a
chance to stay up the middle. So all of that
is extremely exciting for our system.
Speaker 2 (33:56):
You referenced Welbin Francisco. What's the update on him?
Speaker 5 (34:00):
Yeah, So, I mean he came back a few weeks ago.
Speaker 7 (34:02):
I think he's he's got about eighteen games or something
like that at this point. You know, sustained an injury
in spring training and switch hitting infielder who had a
phenomenally a couple of years ago and then had a
bit of a down year last year with maybe higher
expectations set for him in twenty six with how the
offseason looked, and you know, he did a lot of
work this offseason to put himself in a better spot physically.
(34:25):
He's always been a contact like high back the ball
skills hitter, and you know, again I think putting on
some weight and some strength and power this offseason.
Speaker 5 (34:34):
I think he's about ten pounds heavier than he was
last year.
Speaker 7 (34:38):
At this point, at least you would drive up some
more bat speed and you know, maybe lead to more.
Speaker 5 (34:44):
Power, and we've seen that so far. Again, I think
it's about eighteen games. He's hit five home runs so far.
He's driving the ball.
Speaker 7 (34:51):
Harder, like the exit velocities up, so all of those
have been really positive signs. Defensively, again, you know, he's
played almost predominantly shortstop in his career and we're hoping
he can stay up the middle long term, and he's
probably going to get a ton of reps along the
way there and in other spot. So this is a
really athletic player who is incredibly talented. And I think
(35:15):
you know last year again there was a lot of
things going on under the hood, and he's come out
really strong offensively, and again, this guy, like Oozes.
Speaker 5 (35:23):
With talent is just a matter of capitalizing on a
long term.
Speaker 7 (35:27):
He's really young, So it's fun to have Well been
back out there in the lineup and hitting and will
continue to push him to be the best version of
himself long term.
Speaker 2 (35:36):
And one more Aaron Walton, who we saw a little
at him in major league spring training games and he
was impressive. And how has he carried that through into
his minor league season.
Speaker 7 (35:46):
Yeah, he's He's been scorching hot for the first few
months of the season, had maybe two weeks where he
cooled off of it and I was turned back on again.
Speaker 5 (35:56):
I mean, he's hit for power, he's got fourteen home.
Speaker 7 (35:59):
Runs, he's still in a bunch of bags, He's played
really good defense in center field. Yeah, Aaron's been phenomenal
and he's also along with all of these guys, honestly.
Speaker 5 (36:11):
He's just a tremendous worker.
Speaker 7 (36:12):
I think that probably stands out as much as anything else,
Like he understands what his routines are, what he needs
to do every day, and how to prepare. He asked
great questions, He's involved in his own development, and I
think he just continues to get better because of that
and how an invested he is. And I think it's
a credit to him and the coaching staff and you know,
the players that he round every day. There's an awesome
(36:35):
development culture with those guys at that level, and I mean,
he just wants to be great, and it's been really
fun seeing him develop, but also you know, showcase a
lot of huge upside that I think, you know, again,
we've been excited about all these guys. We're equally excited
about Aaron, but maybe a tick higher than what we
(36:56):
even thought, yeah, three four months ago. So it's it's
been a really really positive start for him, and the
underlying traits and things that we've seen leaders to believe
that there's still going to be this upward era of
developmentally for a long term man.
Speaker 2 (37:10):
A lot of good stuff at Single Late Lake County, Austin.
Thanks so much for the update. And we'll catch up
with you again soon.
Speaker 5 (37:16):
Yeah, thanks for having me on.
Speaker 7 (37:17):
Rosie.
Speaker 2 (37:18):
That is Stephen Ostro, the vice president of player Development
for the Guardians, and that's going to do it for
this week's edition of Guardians Weekly. As always, thanks to
Brian Matse for all of his help and putting together
our show each and every week. We'll talk to you
next week from Miami. That's where the Guardians are playing
on their next road trip next weekend against the Red
(37:39):
Hot Marlins. Until then, this is Jim Rosenhause reminding you
that you've been listening to Guardians Weekly on the Cleveland
Clinic Radio network.
Speaker 1 (37:54):
Guardians Weekly haw's been brought to you by Progressive Helping
Guardians Fans Say Hundreds, car insirts
Speaker 5 (38:32):
S
Welcome to Guardians Weekly on the Cleveland Guardians Radio Network.
Guardians Weekly is brought to you by Progressive helping Guardians
fans save hundreds on car insurance.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
HI Reward. Welcome to Guardians Weekly. Jim Rosen House along
with you from Progressive Field in downtown Cleveland, where the
Guardians are at the tail end of what is a
ten game homestand three teams, including the Chicago White Sox
here on this fourth of July weekend and what a
series that has been so far. More on that in
(01:12):
just a moment. A little bit later on in our show,
we'll hear from Chase de Laudard, Guardians outfielders back in
the fold after a brief stay on the injured list,
and he has swung the bat well David Fry, who's
contributed nicely for the Guardians as well. And we'll have
a full Minor league report focusing on single A Lake
County with Vice President of Player Development Stephen Osterer. But
(01:35):
first our weekend review, and we begin on Monday a
loss to the Texas Rangers in the series opener six
to three, and the Rangers did it again on Tuesday night,
handing the Guardians afforded to defeat, but the Guardians would
salvage the finale of that series on Wednesday afternoon. They
got the scoring started in the second inning on singles
(01:56):
from Brian Rochio and Gabriel Arius, putting runners on the
corner with one out for Austin Hedges. Now the one
safety squeeze out towards the mound. Gore comes up with
the shovels to the plate het first slide.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
Rochio's safe ball squirts away from Daz, but the runner
stayed put Arius ad second Hedges at first. On a
bang bang play at the plate, McKenzie Gore got off
the mound kind of like a quarterback on the option,
shoveled it to home plate and Rochio got there ahead
(02:30):
of the throw, and then the ball got free of
Diaz and the Guardians have a one nothing laid on
a safety squeeze bun and Austin Hedges so good at
that Harius later scored on a wild pitch to make
it to nothing, and then still with two men on,
David Fry stepped in McKenzie gore hands just below the chest,
(02:52):
sets fires swung on hit high in the end of
deep right Durran's back track wall. David Fry gets that
most needed huge him a three run home run to right.
(03:12):
It's a five run inning, Cleveland, five Texas nothing, and
David Fry with his fifth home run, giving him twelve
rvy eyes. And when that ball got up in the air,
it just kept carrying.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
Texas got on the board in the third inning, scoring
a run on a basis loaded walk from Joey Cantillo,
but that would be it. As Kintillo battled to keep
the Rangers from getting any closer. Jake Berger steps in
with the bases empty. Here's the pitch and it swung
on and tapped it first up with it, Hoskins flips
to Cantillo in time for the out and another quick
(03:51):
inning for Joey Cantillo as he's worked five and as
we head to the bottom of the fifth, it's five
to one Cleveland. The bullpen took over for Cantillo in
the sixth, and the Rangers got a little closer, scoring
twice to make it a five to three ball game.
But then in the seventh, the first two Texas hitters
reached and it took some good defense from the Guardians
(04:14):
to keep the lead.
Speaker 3 (04:16):
Duran and second Burger at first, Cleveland up two. The
pitch swing on, bounced up the middle to his right,
club By Schieman, club flip to second, one, Rochio turns
two down the inning. Daniel sneaming at second on the
ball hit up the middle, going to his right pack
can't it Graham a club flip to second, and Rocchio
(04:38):
turned two to in the inning, So.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
The Guardians are trying to pad that lead. In the
bottom of the seventh, Stephen Kuan got things started with
a lead off triple and then Chase the latter stepped
in the.
Speaker 4 (04:49):
Pitch and he rips one in the right.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
There's an Arbi hit and the latter with a three
hit game rby I number thirty eight tops club and
Cleveland's got a six to three lead.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
De Laughter later scored on a wild pitch to make
it seven to three. Texas got one of those runs
back with a solo home run in the top half
of the eighth inning, but in the bottom of the eighth,
Austin Hedges removed any doubt. Batting with a man on.
Speaker 4 (05:18):
He sends one high, he sends it deep to left.
Speaker 3 (05:22):
There she goes gone.
Speaker 4 (05:26):
A two run home run.
Speaker 3 (05:28):
To the bleachers and left number two for Austin Henches
this year and Cleveland's got a nine to four lead.
Here in the eighth, four hundred foot flass to the
bleachers and left.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
For hedges, and with that five run lead, Matt Festa
was on to finish things up. In the ninth, Jake
Berger dinging in hits one high and deep to left.
Speaker 4 (05:54):
Kuan is back Quan on the track.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
Kuan makes the catch ballgame and the Guardians get a
much needed win and climbed it within a game of
first place Chicago, with the Socks here for four starting
tomorrow night.
Speaker 4 (06:09):
Guardians winning today nine to four.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
So that win against the Rangers set the table for
a big series against the Chicago White Sox, four games
against the top club in the American League Central Division,
with the Guardians just a game back of the White
Sox in the standings heading into Thursday series opener. The
Guardians were first on the scoreboard in the third inning,
Patrick Bailey with a lead off double and then with
(06:36):
one out, Travis Pasana delivered the pitch and it.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
Swung it written to right near the line base it head.
I'll get down and go to the wall. The sun
on Nsuena second head, first line on double in the
score is Bailey won nothing Cleveland and two terrific advance
for Travis Posanna.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
His twelfth double is twenty sixth Darby I. Later in
the third, Brian Rochio drew a bass loaded walk, scoring
Bizana to make it to nothing. But in the fifth,
the red hot Chicago offense got going. A three run
fifth put the Socks in front, then two more in
the sixth, and all of a sudden it was five
to two Chicago. However, in the bottom of the sixth,
(07:20):
the Guardians responded. Gabrielarius singled and then two walks loaded
the bases with just one out for de Laughter.
Speaker 3 (07:28):
The one too swung on a high chopper to first
charge dead first club by the first baseman. Gonzales steps
on the bag, throws home, got the out at first,
but no chance to get Arius, and it's a five
to three game on de Laughter's Groundolf.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
Then in the seventh, with two outs, pinch hitter David
Fry stepped in.
Speaker 3 (07:49):
Fry with a long drive deep left on it sway
to the Portchin go David Fry with a pinchet home
run to the porch and left and it's a one
run game. Chicago now leads five to four. Here in
the seventh inning.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
Tim Herron shut down the Socks in the top of
the ninth and it was still five to for Chicago.
With one last chance for the Guardians, Rhys Hoskins reached,
drawing a walk to start the bottom of the ninth,
and with one out, Brian Rochio stood in the set
the pants, swinging hit high.
Speaker 5 (08:26):
Hind to right down the line.
Speaker 4 (08:30):
Fair ball home run, walk off.
Speaker 3 (08:34):
Winner Brian Roko with a mob scene about to unveil
and some at.
Speaker 4 (08:42):
Home play, I'm towering blast.
Speaker 3 (08:46):
Down the right field line and Cleveland gets a walk off,
two run home run from Brian Rogiota stun the White
Sox by a final score of six to five. Brian
Rocchio's second career walk off home run, his second walk
(09:09):
off hit of the year, Cleveland's only two walk off wins.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
How what a finish, What a moment for Brian Rochio,
giving the Guardians the six to five victory and setting
the table for more dramatics on Friday Night. Once again,
it was the Guardian striking first. A couple of walks
to start the third inning. Stephen Kwan laid down a
bunt to move the runners up to second and third,
(09:36):
and then it was Travis Pizana coming through the next.
Speaker 3 (09:39):
Offering swung on line the center. That's a ace hit,
it'll score. Arius Heads his steps at third and Travis
Bisana a two hit game last night and an RBI
single to center puts Cleveland on top one to nothing
RBI number twenty seven for Travis Basanna. Going into that
(10:02):
a bat was hitting one fifty to two against left
handed pitching.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
It stayed one nothing until the fifth, when Chicago's Miguel
Vargas hit his twentieth home run of the season, a
three run shot, and the White Sox took a three
to one lead. Moments later, the rains came, a nearly
two hour rain delay before play resumed, and when it did,
the Guardians got right back in it. A couple of
walks in the seventh, and with two men out, Austin
(10:31):
Hedges made the White Sox pay no.
Speaker 4 (10:34):
One to zero. Swung on grounded in the hole on
the left.
Speaker 3 (10:37):
Side off the glove of Montgomery, kicks into shallow left
into scores Hoskins stopping a second is Rochio hard to
hit ball in the hole on the left side of
the infield. Montgomery going toward third with the Badcandon temp
ball kicked off his club rolled into shallow left army
(10:57):
I single frostin hedges, and the next batter, Stephen Kwan
even things up two down two.
Speaker 4 (11:04):
On Cleveland, down a run, the pinch swinging.
Speaker 3 (11:07):
A little looping liner towards the line and left fair
ball basin. Brochio coming home to score overrunning the ball
as Antonaci in the third is Hitches in the second
is Kwan. We are tied at three, and the two
walks that Domingus issued here in the seventh have cussed
(11:30):
the White Sox a pair of runs.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
It's stayed tied at three through nine innings, and onto
extra innings we went. Eric Sabrowski did great work in
the top of the tenth to keep Chicago off the
board and giving the Guardians a chance for another walk
off win. Stephen Kwan was the runner at second to
start the inning. Travis Bizana singled to move Kwan to third,
and then Kalia Watson came to the plate with nobody out.
Speaker 4 (11:56):
Left on left the cent the pinch a swinging a
bang job up the middle.
Speaker 3 (12:03):
Basic centerfield, Kalio Watson with his first major league walk
off game winner, and for back to back nights, the
Guardians have walked off the Chicago White Sox. Last night
they win it in nine. Tonight they win it in
(12:24):
ten and Khalil Watson what a rookie start to his
major league career, Army nine, number nine in just his
fifteenth game, and the Guardians have taken over sole possession
of first place in the American League Central. They win
(12:46):
it tonight by a final score of four to three.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
Way to start to this four game series between the
Guardians and the White Sox, and it continues Saturday night
at seven ten and Sunday afternoon at two. Stay with us,
We'll have more to come after this.
Speaker 6 (13:07):
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Speaker 5 (13:12):
I can't believe the deal we got.
Speaker 6 (13:13):
At least seats for the game.
Speaker 5 (13:14):
Wow, they must be pretty high up here.
Speaker 7 (13:16):
I think my ears just popped.
Speaker 5 (13:17):
You shall put this on?
Speaker 4 (13:19):
Is that an oxygen mask? An official team oxygen mask?
Speaker 3 (13:22):
Well?
Speaker 4 (13:22):
I can kind of see the field. Two undred six
is are still sharp. It's gonna Needa for Phase two
of your sent.
Speaker 6 (13:29):
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Speaker 2 (13:47):
Welcome back to Guardians Weekly. Cheir morosen House back with
you from Progressive Field in downtown Cleveland, where the Guardians
are taking on the White Sox this weekend Saturday night
seven ten and then Sunday afternoon at two pm to
close out the series and the home stand for the
Guardians their longest home stand of the season. Chase the latter,
(14:07):
has been swinging the bat extremely well since coming off
a short stay on the injured list just under two weeks.
He was on the il with a rib issue. We
caught up with him earlier this week and asked him
if he's been surprised at how quickly he's been able
to get back up to speed after missing time.
Speaker 5 (14:24):
Yeah.
Speaker 8 (14:25):
I mean, you know, I feel like I put in
some good work over that little break and rehab. You know,
of course, you can't really emulate live pitching without just
going and facing live pitching, which I hadn't really done
a whole bunch. I mean, we had the traject machine inside,
but outside of the live of bats, you know, I
was fully up to speed with you know, defense, running
(14:45):
the bases, even sliding and stuff while the team was
kind of away. So yeah, I definitely felt ready to
get back out there. You know, I think it took
a second for me to recognize, you know, just the
ball out of hand again, you know, a picture working
down the mound and kind of throwing at you. But
you know, outside of that, you know, things felt great.
It felt great to be back out there with the guys,
(15:05):
kind of in that compete mode again. Had a nice,
nice god adrenaline rush before the game, so it was nice.
Speaker 2 (15:10):
And I know you're I don't want to say be careful,
because you can't play this game being careful, but you
had to play at the plate where you're sliding in
or trying to figure out the best way to get there.
Did some things go through your head saying, hey, first
game back, here we go.
Speaker 4 (15:23):
Not quite.
Speaker 8 (15:24):
It was an interesting one though, where I came around
third base and saw the bat laying right in front
of home plate, so kind of a weird play where
there wasn't wasn't a whole lot of room for me
to make a clean slide. It was almost like the
bat was lying right where I would start my slide. So, yeah,
I was a weird one at the play yesterday. I
was just glad I kind of kind of got in there.
(15:44):
Neither me or the catcher were harmed, and you know,
I was able to get the run across. You know,
I think if the play was a little bit cleaner,
I might have had me beat. So I'm kind of
kind of glad it worked out the way it did.
But yeah, yeah, all good, all good. I wouldn't say
I'm I wouldn't say I'm cautious of it or thinking
about it. In the game Chase, you missed some time,
but considering the background and having a chance to to
(16:07):
not play for two weeks, is there any bus side
to that, just from your overall body feeling at this
point in a season.
Speaker 4 (16:15):
Yeah, of course.
Speaker 8 (16:16):
I mean, you know, anytime you kind of have the
short break where it's not too long of a break
to have a you know, a big build up, it's
it's kind of nice and I don't you know, of course,
I don't wish anyone goes into rehab, you know, for
any reason to take that break. But haven't played you know,
the most amount of games I think I've ever played
in a season up to that point. You know, I
wouldn't say I was you know, itching for you know,
(16:38):
time down or anything like that, but you know, having
it coming back, you know, the legs feel fresh again.
It's it's almost like I had that little a little
cool down into a to a build back up. And
of course we got the the All Star break coming
up soon, so that'll be a nice break for everybody.
But yeah, you know, it definitely refreshes the legs, kind
of refreshes the mindset a little bit and kind of
go from there.
Speaker 2 (16:58):
And team wise, you allude to it, just wanted to
be back with the guys. Uh, what is it about
this team? Because you're not the only one who says that,
what's it about this team?
Speaker 8 (17:06):
Just a fun group, man, Like we have a great
mix of oter guys veterans here, and then of course
you know nice young core here that we've all kind
of played with each other a good bit. So it's
it's almost like we're coming up and then being led
by the guys that have been around, and you know
it's a it's a fun group to combine.
Speaker 4 (17:23):
Chase.
Speaker 2 (17:23):
Thanks for the time, Alway, good Dad, you appreciate it.
Speaker 5 (17:25):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
Man has chased a Lauder and what a rookie season
he has had as he got off to that unbelievably
hot start right at the beginning at the season opener
in Seattle and then that first series in Seattle, and
he has been solid since and now really swinging a
hot bat of late for the Guardians. Stay with us
when we come back, we'll hear from utility man David Fry.
(17:47):
That's next Cleveland Clinic Radio Network Guardians Weekly, continuing from
(18:14):
Progressive Field in downtown Cleveland, where we had a chance
to catch up with David Fry earlier this week.
Speaker 4 (18:20):
He's had a big week at the plate.
Speaker 2 (18:22):
Three run home run in the series finale against Texas
on Wednesday at the Key to five run rally in
a win, and then the next night another home run
that rallied the club to a walk off win over
the White Sox. We talked to him after the first
of his two home runs and he explained just how
good it feels to see the hard work that he's
(18:42):
been putting in finally start to pay off with results.
Speaker 8 (18:45):
Yeah. Obviously, anytime you get some results, it's a good feeling.
Like you said, just been putting in the work and
trying to just give Grady bats anytime. I'm in there
and trying to trust my plan and my approach and
was able to get a ball. It was a good
day to hit yesterday. Ball was kind of flying, So yeah,
it was a falling especially getting a huge lead early too,
given given Joey. A five run lead early was big.
(19:06):
With all the one run games we've been playing, we
needed h I wouldn't say a relaxing game, but to
the way we play, it felt like a huge lead.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
You mentioned relaxing and hitting with men in scoring position
can be a challenge and they always say, well.
Speaker 4 (19:20):
Just relax.
Speaker 2 (19:21):
How hard is that though, when when you really have
to put it in play.
Speaker 8 (19:24):
Yeah, it's I mean, yeah, it's very much easier said
than done. I think it's one of those things that
kind of comes and goes in spurts. Obviously, the pitcher's
kinda he's got to do everything he can to get
you to swing and miss, or get you to pop
up or something. I think more than anything, it's just
sticking with your approach. Everybody wants to be the guy
and be the guy to drive in a run. It's
(19:44):
just stick with your approach, take the result out of it,
and usually good things come from that.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
And life is continuing without Jose Ramirez, without on Hell Martinez.
What's the key to still being productive and scoring enough
runs to win games?
Speaker 8 (19:57):
Yeah, I think it's just that. I think it's trusting
and your playing your approach and who you are, Like,
nobody's gonna just all this sudden snap their fingers and
take Jose spot or Angel spot and do what they do.
I think it's everybody just doing what they do best
and staying in that role. I think when you try
to do too much, obviously, bad things can happen. And
I think you've seen we've had. We've shown some games
(20:18):
where like guys just take their bats and any one
of us have have had the ability to leave the
yard anytime. So just yeah, putting together good at bats
and not trying to replace them.
Speaker 2 (20:28):
Joined by David Frye and you channeled your inner gold gloves.
Stephen Kwan in left field yesterday with a tremendous catch
and you've had a couple in the outfield, and how
proud were you of that great play that that really
was Quan like in left field.
Speaker 8 (20:45):
Yeah, I was happy about it. I didn't take the
best route to it. Probably could have got to it
stating it up, but yeah it was. I was giving
Kwanti a hard time telling them to take notes and
everything like that.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
When you look at at moving around and playing in
the outfield, I know you work at it. We're recording
this a couple hours before game time, and how much
do you move around and try and figure out how
to stay sharp at different positions?
Speaker 8 (21:07):
Yeah, I think that's the thing. Is just like pregame work.
I try to catch as much as I can in
the cages or in bullpens. Me and Reecee usually every
day game will go out and take ground balls at
shorter third, not that we're gonna go out and play shortstop,
but just like sting athletic, getting those reps of like okay,
if I can do this, I can go play first,
I can go play third, and then taking outfield reps everywhere.
(21:29):
So whatever weird scenario comes up, we're prepared for. And
it's not just oh I hope this goes, well, all.
Speaker 2 (21:35):
Right, and you're doing this on a really hot day.
But you've got the Texas background, Louisiana background. Is this
really that hot?
Speaker 8 (21:43):
Oh, it's not that bad where like there's enough of
a breeze to make it not that bad. It's like
the South Texas and Louisiana where it's like muggy, humid
and there's no breeze, where it feels like you're in
an oven. Those are the worst days. This isn't too terrible.
I take this over cold any day.
Speaker 2 (21:58):
Keys though yesterday was a game in this was a
pretty challenging.
Speaker 8 (22:02):
Uh, yes and no, Like, yeah, it's hot, but everybody's prepared,
like we just say, hydrated, and I think the only
time that thing can kind of like sneak up on you.
Obviously it's a little tougher if you're catching or pitching,
but if you're not hydrated, then yeah, it's gonna stink.
But I think everybody's doing a good job trainer to
take care of us. And you played a White Sox tonight.
(22:22):
You had him last week in Chicago.
Speaker 2 (22:25):
Excitement level coming into a series with the two top
teams in the division. How enjoyable is that? As a player.
Speaker 4 (22:31):
Yeah, it's cool.
Speaker 8 (22:32):
Anytime you're playing an indivision opponent obviously feels a little
like there's a little more to it. And obviously these
guys are playing really good and you're gonna have to
play some good ball to beat them. And but it'll
be a fun series. They got a young team, We
got a young team, so I think we probably still
got like ten to twelve more with these guys. But yeah,
it'll be fun to play them. David as always, thanks
for coming by. Yeah, appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (22:51):
Rosie at utility man David Frye, who yet will be
a key for this team offensively. You figure that in
the second half of this season. Stay with us when
we come back. It's a full minor league report. That's
next on the Cleveland Clinic Radio Network.
Speaker 6 (23:10):
Progressive presents Wyte to save money that aren't bundling your
ome and auto insurance with Progressive.
Speaker 3 (23:15):
Thanks again for taking me to the game, man, I
can't wait to get in there.
Speaker 4 (23:19):
By the way, what's in the bag?
Speaker 2 (23:20):
Oh, I bring my own hot dog and peanuts saves
a ton, ah sabby and what about the beach chairs?
Why buy seats when you can save big and.
Speaker 5 (23:26):
Bring your own.
Speaker 4 (23:27):
We can't get in without tickets. Tickets, what do you
think the portable TV is for?
Speaker 6 (23:32):
Don't save money pretending to go to the game. You
could save on hundreds. Vice witching to Progressive got a
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Fiel gets another Insuran's nothing. I'll win tho States Situations.
Speaker 4 (23:50):
Welcome back.
Speaker 2 (23:50):
It's Guardians Weekly from Progressive Field in downtown Cleveland. Jim
rosenhouse along with you this weekend and we had a
chance to visit with Stephen Ostro, the Vice presient send
in a player development for the Guardians our weekly look
at the farm system, and this week with Osti, we
talked about Lake County and started with a pitcher who's
been recently promoted to double A acron. His name is
(24:13):
Brayln Dody, and you'll certainly want to keep track of
that name as we talked about the progress that Dody
has made that led to his promotion to double A acron.
Speaker 7 (24:23):
Yeah, Braylean was excellent in the first half and you know,
as you noted, we just recently promoted him and now
I think he's the second youngest pitcher in Double A
across baseball, so pretty aggressive, but he did, he did
earn it. You know, we talked I think earlier a
few times about how, you know, we get these.
Speaker 5 (24:44):
Really young pitchers. We try to set the foundation for
the long term.
Speaker 7 (24:47):
Success and establishing routines being a part of that, preparing
themselves for the week, for the game, knowing themselves all
those things, and try to try to overcome that before
really digging in and making big sweeping changes on the
arsenal or the delivery or things like that that are
maybe tick more technical. Braillan crushed a lot of that
(25:08):
last year, like we talked about, and then spent this
time in the offseason in the early parts of this
year just working on his arsenal, working on his pitchmates.
You know, now he's got a little bit more of
a balanced approach that he can deploy against both sides
of the plate, and Brillians has taken onto that really well.
It's allowed him to have maybe a little bit more
(25:28):
of the tools to go and strike guys out, which
I think in the past he has certainly a couple
of pitches to lean on, but now he's got more
to throw against the guys and with that and gaining
a little bit more velocity. We've seen that tick up recently.
I think he's been up to ninety eight so far
this year, which is a nice sign. And you know,
put a package that all together, and he's generating a
(25:50):
lot more with and he's an elite strike thrower. I
think he was in like the ninety ninth percentile and
in strikes at the level again being really even for Hyas.
So you know, you put that all together. He dominated
the first half and I think it was just time
for him to be challenged again.
Speaker 5 (26:09):
And you know, hopefully moving up a level.
Speaker 7 (26:11):
Will highlight some more blind sides for him and narrow
the focus for what to do moving forward. But we've
been really excited about Briellan's development in the off season
and then again through the first half.
Speaker 2 (26:22):
And one more picture for this week, and I hope
I get his name right. Ken Degley's Virguez out of Venezuela.
It looks like he's working out of the pen, and
what are you seeing from him?
Speaker 5 (26:32):
Yeah, he got it mostly right, We got it. You know,
he's a tough one.
Speaker 7 (26:37):
Brounce, and yeah, Verguis is not a name that we've
talked about a ton or if at all, and he
was an international sign and.
Speaker 5 (26:46):
It's been with us since I think twenty two.
Speaker 7 (26:48):
But you struggled with injury, missed a lot of time,
if not I think almost all of last year for
the most part.
Speaker 5 (26:55):
But he's healthy and doing quite well now. Out of
the pen. He's he's a big right he throws really
really hard.
Speaker 7 (27:02):
He's a two pitch guy mostly, but you know, lean's
heavily on a fastball that sits ninety eight. We've seen
him up to one hundred and one, and he's got
an upper eighty slider. So the challenge in the past
for him has been how do I harness all of
that while staying healthy?
Speaker 5 (27:16):
How do I get that in the zone and.
Speaker 7 (27:18):
Do that consistently, which he's done a nice job of.
He's got his walk right down. It's not necessarily exactly
where he'd want it to be, of course, you know,
he's a young guy, throws really hard and we can't
expect him to throw everything exactly where we want him to.
Speaker 5 (27:31):
But he's come a long way and it's showing really
really nice signs of development this year.
Speaker 7 (27:37):
Just to project maybe where this guy could be in
the future, as a bullpen arm, but he's got really
electric stuff. I think there's still some development on, you know,
creating a better fastball shape. Maybe maybe it's two fastballs
in the future. But you know, another guy that we're
really excited about the steps that he's taken, and he's
got an engine to throw, you know, as hard as
(27:58):
anyone that we've had in our system in a while.
Speaker 5 (28:01):
So Verguies has been a nice story for us this year.
Speaker 2 (28:06):
And your position player crew there, it's it's the draft
of twenty twenty five. All these big college kids and
it looks like they're really starting to come along. And
let's start with Nolan Schubart. Gosh, you look at the
home runs runs, bat it in ops, all that good
stuff for power and it seems like it's really coming
along for him.
Speaker 8 (28:25):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (28:26):
I mean, this whole package of offense at the Lake
County level is really fun to watch, and Shuebart's been
a big part of that the last month. I mean,
he's been good all year, but he's really taking a
step forward in terms of his production in the last
month on a real heater. Right now, he's leading the
ORG with seventeen home runs. You know, he's working really
(28:48):
hard and has been this year on just some slight
swing adjustments. The path of the bat is maybe a
little bit steep it, you know, maybe hinders him a
tick from being able to get to pitches the top
of the zone, and we're trying to just get him
to be.
Speaker 5 (29:03):
Able to cover more of the zone to limit the whiff.
I mean, the power is off the charts.
Speaker 7 (29:08):
When he gets a hold of one, it goes a
really long way, and he seems to do that with ease.
It's just how do we get him to make more
consistent contact and cover different parts of the zone and
the plate. And you know, he's a tremendous worker. He's
a great kid, and he's all in on on trying
to do that. And we've seen some positive progress this year.
And yeah, I mean he has dominated the level offensively,
(29:32):
and you know, we've started to give him some time
in the outfield as well. He played some of that
in college, so nixing in first base outfield, giving him
reps across the diamond and you know, just the offensive side.
Speaker 5 (29:43):
I don't think with him or any.
Speaker 7 (29:45):
Guys that are trying to make you know, a path
adjustment is it's an easy path or an easy development
to make, but he has made some stride so far
this year, and like I said, he's got the engine
to hit all really, really far.
Speaker 2 (30:01):
So he's fun to watch and last year's first round
draft pick for the Guardians. Jacelabolette, I know it took
him a little bit to get going, but you're seeing
good progress there as he gets deeper into his season.
Speaker 5 (30:13):
Yeah, he settled in to your point. There are a
few slow weeks at the start.
Speaker 7 (30:18):
Of the year, but Jase just continues to show a
lot of the upside that we saw him Draft Day.
He's just incredibly athletic. He does things on the diamond
that I think a lot of other players wish they could.
You know, he can hit the ball four hundred and
fifty plus feet over the batting cages in Redfield and
Lake County, which doesn't happen very often.
Speaker 5 (30:38):
He's got a really good arm. He's one of the
fastest players we have.
Speaker 7 (30:42):
I mean, he just does things out there that he
kind of stopped and marvel at at times. And the
similar Ish team to what we talked about with Schubert,
but you know, guy who's got plus power and trying
to limit the whiff and make it, make a swing adjustment,
and you know, just try to be more consistent with contact.
And that's been a thing for him this year, and
(31:02):
you know, he's bought in a ton, he understands the
mission of what he's trying to do, and I think
we've seen some progress there.
Speaker 5 (31:09):
But again, this is something that's not going to just
change overnight.
Speaker 7 (31:13):
It's going to take, you know, a lot of time
and effort, and it could take multiple years or in
to make the improvement that he would need.
Speaker 5 (31:20):
To be consistent at the play.
Speaker 7 (31:22):
But again, the tools are, you know, things that we
don't have across the system. When you just zoom out
a look at what Jase can do as a baseball player,
it's incredible. He's really competitive. We knew that coming in
the draft of Leaves and him battle through things already
this year and just want to play and is as
competitive as anyone we've seen. So it's just a steady
(31:44):
path forward for him to try to make some of
the swing adjustment that we're looking for and just know
that the talent is undeniable and we're hoping that he
can continue to make the progress that he needs to
make to help us eventually at the big league level.
Speaker 2 (31:57):
And how about Dean Curley, the infielder who also drafted
last year out of Tennessee. What are you seeing from
him as he gets deeper into his season.
Speaker 7 (32:05):
Yeah, a lot of the same of what we saw
before with the offensive profile. Sorry, just super patient at
the plate and maybe super super patient. I mean, I
think he's got one of the lowest swing rates in
the entire minor leagues at this point, which has led
to a really.
Speaker 5 (32:21):
High walk rate. I mean, hey has a good eye,
so there's that part of it as well.
Speaker 7 (32:26):
But you know, we've been working on more of an
aggressive mindset, maybe hunt more pitches, and yeah, I think
when he does get it, he can.
Speaker 5 (32:33):
Really do some damage. Yeah.
Speaker 7 (32:35):
I think the biggest thing, honestly for Dean over the
last month has just continued to be the defense.
Speaker 5 (32:40):
He's played a ton of shortstop this year.
Speaker 7 (32:43):
We'll talk about maybe well in Francisca being hurt and
that opening up opportunities for him. But when we drafted him,
we you know, there were questions about what position is
he gonna end up playing, and we don't love the forecast.
Speaker 5 (32:53):
The answer to that.
Speaker 7 (32:54):
We like to give guys experiences and figure it out
over time, knowing we're not good enough to project everything
to the nth degree, so we gave him a ton
of shortstop reps so far this year just to better
gauge where he is.
Speaker 5 (33:07):
As an athlete on the diamond. And he's shown really
good instincts.
Speaker 7 (33:11):
He's shown really good moves and ranges that maybe we're
better than we anticipated.
Speaker 5 (33:16):
But the biggest thing has just been.
Speaker 7 (33:17):
Tackling the throwing, the accuracy, and trying to get his
slot at the appropriate height to be more consistent with
throws in different plays. So we've seen improvements there. I
think we've been pleasantly surprised about what he could become.
Potentially is a shortstop still in play for us right now,
(33:37):
and if you just look up and see maybe some
of the errors or some of the throws and.
Speaker 5 (33:43):
Stuff that we don't think that tells a whole story
by any means. And we've got a really athletic player
who can swing from the right side and has a
chance to stay up the middle. So all of that
is extremely exciting for our system.
Speaker 2 (33:56):
You referenced Welbin Francisco. What's the update on him?
Speaker 5 (34:00):
Yeah, So, I mean he came back a few weeks ago.
Speaker 7 (34:02):
I think he's he's got about eighteen games or something
like that at this point. You know, sustained an injury
in spring training and switch hitting infielder who had a
phenomenally a couple of years ago and then had a
bit of a down year last year with maybe higher
expectations set for him in twenty six with how the
offseason looked, and you know, he did a lot of
work this offseason to put himself in a better spot physically.
(34:25):
He's always been a contact like high back the ball
skills hitter, and you know, again I think putting on
some weight and some strength and power this offseason.
Speaker 5 (34:34):
I think he's about ten pounds heavier than he was
last year.
Speaker 7 (34:38):
At this point, at least you would drive up some
more bat speed and you know, maybe lead to more.
Speaker 5 (34:44):
Power, and we've seen that so far. Again, I think
it's about eighteen games. He's hit five home runs so far.
He's driving the ball.
Speaker 7 (34:51):
Harder, like the exit velocities up, so all of those
have been really positive signs. Defensively, again, you know, he's
played almost predominantly shortstop in his career and we're hoping
he can stay up the middle long term, and he's
probably going to get a ton of reps along the
way there and in other spot. So this is a
really athletic player who is incredibly talented. And I think
(35:15):
you know last year again there was a lot of
things going on under the hood, and he's come out
really strong offensively, and again, this guy, like Oozes.
Speaker 5 (35:23):
With talent is just a matter of capitalizing on a
long term.
Speaker 7 (35:27):
He's really young, So it's fun to have Well been
back out there in the lineup and hitting and will
continue to push him to be the best version of
himself long term.
Speaker 2 (35:36):
And one more Aaron Walton, who we saw a little
at him in major league spring training games and he
was impressive. And how has he carried that through into
his minor league season.
Speaker 7 (35:46):
Yeah, he's He's been scorching hot for the first few
months of the season, had maybe two weeks where he
cooled off of it and I was turned back on again.
Speaker 5 (35:56):
I mean, he's hit for power, he's got fourteen home.
Speaker 7 (35:59):
Runs, he's still in a bunch of bags, He's played
really good defense in center field. Yeah, Aaron's been phenomenal
and he's also along with all of these guys, honestly.
Speaker 5 (36:11):
He's just a tremendous worker.
Speaker 7 (36:12):
I think that probably stands out as much as anything else,
Like he understands what his routines are, what he needs
to do every day, and how to prepare. He asked
great questions, He's involved in his own development, and I
think he just continues to get better because of that
and how an invested he is. And I think it's
a credit to him and the coaching staff and you know,
the players that he round every day. There's an awesome
(36:35):
development culture with those guys at that level, and I mean,
he just wants to be great, and it's been really
fun seeing him develop, but also you know, showcase a
lot of huge upside that I think, you know, again,
we've been excited about all these guys. We're equally excited
about Aaron, but maybe a tick higher than what we
(36:56):
even thought, yeah, three four months ago. So it's it's
been a really really positive start for him, and the
underlying traits and things that we've seen leaders to believe
that there's still going to be this upward era of
developmentally for a long term man.
Speaker 2 (37:10):
A lot of good stuff at Single Late Lake County, Austin.
Thanks so much for the update. And we'll catch up
with you again soon.
Speaker 5 (37:16):
Yeah, thanks for having me on.
Speaker 7 (37:17):
Rosie.
Speaker 2 (37:18):
That is Stephen Ostro, the vice president of player Development
for the Guardians, and that's going to do it for
this week's edition of Guardians Weekly. As always, thanks to
Brian Matse for all of his help and putting together
our show each and every week. We'll talk to you
next week from Miami. That's where the Guardians are playing
on their next road trip next weekend against the Red
(37:39):
Hot Marlins. Until then, this is Jim Rosenhause reminding you
that you've been listening to Guardians Weekly on the Cleveland
Clinic Radio network.
Speaker 1 (37:54):
Guardians Weekly haw's been brought to you by Progressive Helping
Guardians Fans Say Hundreds, car insirts
Speaker 5 (38:32):
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