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This American League Team is Off to a Scorching Start Offensively

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The Cleveland Guardians have scored 46 runs so far this season, ranking first in the AL and fourth in MLB. Thanks to this hot offensive start, the Guardians now have a 5-2 record after beating the Seattle Mariners 8-0 on Wednesday. The night before, Shane Bieber pitched six innings without allowing a run for the second consecutive start, leading to a 5-2 Cleveland win.

Guardians Off to Hot Start Offensively

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On Tuesday, Cleveland shook up Seattle ace Luis Castillo with 10 hits and then followed up that effort with 11 knocks against George Kirby. The Guardians were also impressive against the Oakland Athletics, when Abbotsford, BC native and MEI grad Cade Smith commanded the mound and struck out five batters through two innings to help the Guardians earn a 12-3 victory. José Ramírez for the Guardians has recorded seven hits, a home run, and four RBIs so far this season. The third baseman also lined an RBI double in the 8-0 victory against the Mariners.

Another major contributor is Josh Naylor, who has seven hits and a home run this season for the Guardians. Naylor also contributed to the 8-0 victory by hitting a sacrifice fly. His brother Bo Naylor has also been productive, recording a home run and four hits, with the round-tripper coming in the 5-2 victory over the Mariners on Tuesday. Cleveland recorded 10 hits in back-to-back games while facing the top two starting pitchers for the Mariners, an impressive feat.

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Frozen Ropes and Scorching Fastballs

The Guardians recorded these top exit velocities against the Mariners in Wednesday’s win:

1) Will Brennan (Groundout) 106.1

2) Jose Ramirez (Double) 103.6

3) Jose Ramirez (Double) 101.6

4) Brayan Rocchio (Single) 100.0

5) Josh Naylor (Flyout) 99.2

They also recorded these top pitching velocities:

1) Tim Herrin (4-seam fastball) 97.5

2) Tim Herrin (4-seam fastball) 96.9

3) Tim Herrin (4-seam fastball) 96.2

4) Tim Herrin (4-seam fastball) 96.1

5) Tim Herrin (4-seam fastball) 95.9

Lefty reliever Timmy Herrin closed out the ninth for the Guardians in the 8-0 victory. This season, the former Terre Haute South pitcher has recorded two shutout relief appearances for Cleveland.

The Hard-Hitting Guardians

So far, Cleveland has come out as the hard-hitting Guardians, but can they continue with their hot offensive start? Impressive offense complemented by solid pitching has permitted this team to stand out in the AL. It’s been a combined team effort that’s allowed them to be productive and convincingly win games. This is also a nice start for first-year manager Stephen Vogt. It was thought in the offseason that the Guardians had a lineup capable of becoming an offensive juggernaut. So far, they have lived up to that potential. While some teams have been inconsistent and have struggled with scoring runs, it’s been quite the opposite for Cleveland.

Photo Credit: © Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

The post This American League Team is Off to a Scorching Start Offensively appeared first on Last Word On Baseball.