Carrasco standing as beacon of stability for Guardians' rotation 

ST. PETERSBURG -- Carlos Carrasco has been the Guardians’ most reliable starting pitcher over the past three weeks.

That would be no big deal if this was 2016 or 2017, when Carrasco was legitimately one of the best starters in the American League. But this season, after rejoining Cleveland on a Minor League contract during the offseason, the 37-year-old has proven to be so much more than a feel-good story and a depth piece.

He has become a steadying force for a rotation in tatters. And on Friday night, Carrasco continued his current roll in a 2-0 loss to the Rays at Tropicana Field.

“The last handful of outings,” catcher Austin Hedges said, “he looks like prime Carlos Carrasco to me.”

Prime Carlos Carrasco in the mid-2010s led with a four-seamer that averaged 94-96 mph. That’s not who he is anymore, and he knows it. Carrasco’s fastball is down to 91.5 mph, and he mixes in his slider and changeup almost equally. He threw those two offerings more than his four-seamer against the Rays, who were only 2-for-12 against the veteran’s slider and changeup.

“It's not the same velo, but you know what, I get more movement on my pitches and I think that's all that matters,” Carrasco said.

Since June 21, the Guardians have seen starters Triston McKenzie and Logan Allen sent to the Minors. Rotation mainstays Tanner Bibee and Ben Lively have had some rough performances. And yet, in that same period, Carrasco has pitched at least five innings and allowed three or fewer runs in each of his past five starts. He permitted only two runs (one earned) across five frames with one walk and three strikeouts on Friday.

What has that kind of consistency and dependability meant to this team?

“Everything,” manager Stephen Vogt said. “Cookie has been great. He gets into jams, but he finds a way to wiggle out. This guy knows how to pitch, and that's the one thing with Cookie: We know he is going to give us an opportunity to win.”

Carrasco certainly did that in the first game of the Guardians’ final series before the All-Star break. The first run he allowed was unearned thanks to a third-inning throwing error from shortstop Daniel Schneemann. That frame could have gotten out of hand for Cleveland and Carrasco, but with runners on the corners and no out, he limited the damage by getting Brandon Lowe to ground into a double play before getting Rays All-Star Isaac Paredes to whiff on a changeup that sunk beneath the zone to end the inning.

The second run he allowed came on a good pitch -- a 90.8 mph sinker that ran way in on the hands of Yandy Díaz. The pitch made contact close to the knob of his bat, but Tampa Bay’s leadoff hitter was able to fight it off for a double with an exit velocity of 65.8 mph down the right-field line.

You couldn’t say that Carrasco made many mistakes on this night, but he needed to be absolutely perfect in order to keep up with Rays starter Taj Bradley.

The 23-year-old right-hander shut down Cleveland with his 96 mph four-seamer along with his power cutter and splitter. And while Carrasco’s has been solid of late, that pales in comparison to Bradley’s current run. After tossing seven scoreless innings Friday, Bradley has a 1.07 ERA over his past seven starts dating back to June 8. That is the best mark in the Majors among all starters (minimum 30 innings pitched).

“Taj Bradley was outstanding tonight,” Vogt said. “... Didn't make any mistakes and what little rallies we got going -- double play[s] and weren't able to come up with the big hit.”

But back to Carrasco, who came back to Tropicana Field for the first time in five years. The last time he pitched under the dome, he was at the center of one of the more emotional MLB moments in recent memory. It was Sept. 1, 2019 -- the night he stepped on a big league mound for the first time following his nearly three-month fight against chronic myeloid leukemia.

Carrasco received a standing ovation from all players and fans. The crowd chanted his nickname -- “Cook-ie! Cook-ie!” -- as he made his way in from the bullpen.

Carrasco, who now lives in the area and had his family in the stands Friday, admitted that he thought about that momentous night when he arrived at the park.

But those thoughts could last for only so long.

“I just need to concentrate on the game,” he said. “This is my job, and I just need to go out there and put up some zeroes. Pretty much, that's what we did.”