Here are 19 Walk-Off Thoughts on the Indians’ 2-1 win against the Kansas City Royals Tuesday night.
1. The Indians have now walked-off more than any team in baseball this season. With two on, Brandon Guyer drove a double down the right-field line that landed fair by only a few feet, if that, to win it in the bottom of the ninth.
2. The 11 walk-off wins this season surpass Houston’s 10 to lead the majors. On Tuesday night Guyer became the ninth different hitter with a game-winner for the Indians this season.
3. For Guyer, it was an especially big moment considering it came against Joakim Soria, a right-handed pitcher. Guyer has said this season that he feels comfortable against both righties and lefties, but it’s the latter that he’s found the most success against and why the Indians acquired him prior to the trade deadline.
4. Said Guyer, “I relish any opportunity to play. If it’s going in of defense, pinch run, hit, righty, lefty, it really doesn't matter to me. But with this team we have so many good players that my opportunities might not be a lot right now, and I’m fine with that. I came over to a great team and fortunately got a good opportunity tonight and with runners on base, in scoring position, glad I came through.”
5. He’s now added his name to the list of Indians hitters to receive a beating after winning a game. Guyer, on what it says that so many different guys have come through: “It says on any given night, it could be anybody. Tonight it was me. But really any night, if anyone’s got the opportunity, we all have full confidence that anyone can come through. It’s just really fun to be on a team like that.”
6. Said Josh Tomlin on the 11 walk-offs and the clubhouse, “I think it's just the group of people we have in that clubhouse. Everybody roots for each other. The definition of 'team' is in that clubhouse. Everybody loves hanging out with each other, loves playing cards with each other. It's just a good group of guys to be around every day. We try to get to the ballpark pretty early and everybody is always in a good mood, joking around, having a good time. It's just loose and everybody enjoys everybody. It's not surprising to me hearing that, that there's nine different guys out of 11 that have done it. It's not surprising. We have a good team. That's all there is to it. We have a great team.”
7. Tomlin, in terms of looking ahead to October, was probably the biggest positive from Tuesday night. He tossed 6 2/3 innings, allowing only one run and walking none. It was a strong start for Tomlin, who the Indians could need more than ever with Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar down.
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8. In August, Tomlin’s struggles weren’t a code red situation. It was a concern, but Tomlin was most likely looking to be the fifth starter needed in a four-man rotation. The Indians were looking to give him time to figure things out as a long-term solution and to get through September. Now, Tomlin is looking like a Game 3 starter and a huge piece to the Indians’ playoff hopes.
9. Tuesday’s quality start was exactly what the Indians wanted and needed to see.
10. Said Francona, “I thought he was outstanding. Efficient, threw strikes, everything was crisp. He did a heck of a job. … I think his fastball has more life. I’m not sure he’s ever going to light up the gun but when he looks crisp, that’s a good sign, and he’s pitching in with it and then off of that he can throw his cutter or flip some breaking balls in for strike one or to get back into a count. I think he was pitching with confidence.”
11. Tomlin was strongly accountable in August as he struggled to turn things around. He still is accountable to a fault, saying, “It feels good. It feels good to be able to contribute and try to help this team win. I know I put them in a tough spot for [a few] starts before these last two. My job now is to look forward and try to go as many innings as I possibly can and try to keep this team in contention, and keep them in the game as long as I can, because that offense is really good, the defense is really good. So, my job is just to go out there and try to compete as much as I can, and try to give them a chance.”
12. Sometimes coaches will look for a pitcher to “miss in the right spots.” Missing for a ball in a 1-2 count off the plate isn’t the worst thing in the world. Missing in a 1-2 count on a pitch that finds the middle of the plate can be. That might have been part of Tomlin’s problem.
13. Said Tomlin, “Just execution of pitches. When I miss to a side that I'm going to, it's off the plate, as opposed to being in the middle of the plate. I think that was a big problem in that little run I had in August. When things weren't really going my way, you can look back and say, 'You kind of had a tough break every couple starts,' but the execution of pitches wasn't there. When I was trying to go away, the ball would leak back to the middle. If I was trying to go in, it was kind of the same thing. It was just in for effect and it was back away, and I was missing over the middle of the plate too much. You do that to a lineup that's good, or a big league lineup, they're going to end up hurting you eventually.”
14. Tomlin understands the situation, and that he and Mike Clevinger have a lot on their shoulders now. As Corey Kluber said a few days ago, the goal for everyone is to do what they can do, not try to be someone else. That’s especially the case when having to replace pitchers of the caliber of Carrasco and Salazar—it’s probably not going to happen, at least not in their style.
15. Said Tomlin, “We understand what happened. We get it. Carrasco and Danny are a key part of that rotation. We all know that. Everybody knows that. But, our job is to step up. Our job is to go out there and give this team a chance to win. It's not to try to do what Carlos Carrasco or Danny Salazar can do. It's to try to be ourselves and give our team a chance to win every fifth day. Both of us, we know we have to step up. We know we have to try to go out there and log innings and keep us in the game. We're up for the challenge. We're ready for it, and we're trying to do the best we can to try to help win the Central and get into the playoffs and play deep into the playoffs.”
16. After Tomlin and Guyer’s walk-off hit, the key to Tuesday’s game came with Bryan Shaw and Andrew Miller each stranding a would-be go-ahead runner on third base in the seventh and eighth innings, respectively.
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17. Shaw entered the seventh to replace Tomlin with Alex Gordon on third and induced a fly-out to end the inning. Miller, in the eighth and with Terrance Gore on third, struck out Christian Colon and Whit Merrifield looking. That kept it tied 1-1, eventually leading to Guyer’s walk-off winner.
18. A hidden key in those sequences is Roberto Perez. Having a defensive catcher of Perez’s caliber allows Shaw and Miller to throw what they need—specifically Miller’s driving slider down and in—and not have to be overly concerned with a wild pitch or passed ball. In other cases, the lower part of the zone might be somewhat of a concern.
19. Said Miller, “Not with Berto. I think the way he receives the ball, the way he blocks the plate, calls a game. I think I’ve been fortunate to throw to a lot of good catchers. It’s just been a lot of fun to get to see him. I think he’s helping us out a lot. He gives us the ability to just go out there and throw whatever we want. He’s going to knock it down, make it look like a strike, whatever it is. He’s pretty awesome.”