Lively tames MLB-best Phils amid crucial stretch for Guardians

PHILADELPHIA -- With deals swirling around baseball only a few days before the Trade Deadline and the toughest remaining schedule of any team, the Guardians could be on the precipice of a transformative moment. Will the American League Central leaders add a bat before Tuesday’s 6 p.m. ET deadline? An arm? Or will they stand pat? What will Cleveland’s team look like after Tuesday, and given the gauntlet it will face for the stretch run, will it be enough?

So far at least, those questions remain unanswered. But the club spent Friday night in Philadelphia hardly sweating them. Ben Lively made some small ball run support hold up by keeping his former team in check, and the Guardians opened their series against MLB's top team with a 3-1 win over the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.

“That was kinda Guardians baseball,” said David Fry, who drove home Cleveland’s first run with an RBI single in the first. “We were bunting, stealing bases, putting pressure on the defense. That’s what we do.”

Facing the team he made his debut with back in 2017, Lively continued showcasing the kind of starter he’s grown into since then -- and why he was such a shrewd pickup for the Guardians last winter. Backed by early run-scoring hits from Fry and Angel Martínez, Lively held the high-flying Phillies to just a Bryson Stott solo homer across six solid innings, over which he struck out six. Cleveland’s lights-out bullpen then combined for nine outs as the Guardians look to get back on track after a slow start to the second half.

“The changeup was really good tonight, so he had that as a weapon to both lefties and righties,” said manager Stephen Vogt. “Man, to turn in six innings against that team with only one run, that was an impressive outing and something that we much, much needed.”

The outing improved Lively, who had never made more than 15 starts in a season and had a 5.38 ERA last year for the Reds, to 9-6 with a 3.44 ERA through 18 starts for Cleveland. The 32-year-old has been a stabilizing force for a club that knows it needs rotation reinforcements going forward with many more big games against good teams on the horizon.

That’s more certainty than assumption. The Guardians sit 4 1/2 games ahead of the Twins in the AL Central, but Friday was the beginning of a challenging stretch. This weekend brings two more games against Philadelphia before two at Detroit, four against AL East-leading Baltimore, then seven against Arizona and Minnesota -- both winning clubs.

Indeed, entering Friday, the Guardians’ remaining opponents had a combined .526 winning percentage, the highest in the Majors.

Asked what he thought about facing the National League’s top club, Lively said, “We’re at the top of the league, too. So we’re staying on the same game plan. We’re not worrying about them. Just got to stick to the same game plan and keep powering through.”

But just imagine where the Guardians would be without Lively. He is one of only two Cleveland starters with an ERA below 4.00 (Tanner Bibee, 3.50) -- hence the club’s need for rotation help.

“He’s the ultimate competitor,” Vogt said. “I’ve said it over and over, and I’m going to continue to say it. This guy is confident with his stuff, and he attacks the zone. He goes right after guys. That fastball is real. I know it’s 88-92 [mph], but it's got life and it gets on people.”

Lively has completed at least five innings in 16 of his 18 starts, that consistency helping to preserve MLB’s best bullpen. After receiving scoreless innings from Cade Smith, Hunter Gaddis and Emmanuel Clase on Friday, Cleveland's ‘pen leads MLB in ERA (2.48) while only ranking ninth in innings pitched.

“I trust our front office,” Vogt said of the upcoming Trade Deadline. “They’ve been doing this a lot longer than I have. I will continue to maintain: the reason we’re in this position is because of the people who are here. I truly believe this group has what it takes to get it done. You’re always looking to improve your roster, even internally, right? So I trust that come [Tuesday] our group is going to do everything it can to give us the best roster possible.”