Latest bullpen clinic lifts Guardians to series-opening win

TORONTO -- A good bullpen is a prerequisite for success in baseball. A great one can elevate a team to the top of the league.

Just ask the AL Central-leading Guardians.

Cleveland's elite relief corps was on full display in Friday’s 3-1 win over the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre, backing starter Logan Allen with four hitless innings to polish off the latest showcase of dominance for the Guardians (44-23).

“It's not easy to stay sharp over and over and over,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said after the win. “Our guys are doing it, and it just makes my life very easy. When you have guys that can get lefties and righties out and all of them can pitch in leverage, it's a blessing.”

That dominance has been Cleveland’s signature this year. The club owns the best bullpen ERA in the Majors (2.29), as well as league-best marks in WHIP (0.96), walks per nine innings (2.57), homers per nine (0.43) and hits per nine (6.04). Simply put, no bullpen has been better than the Guardians’.

Cade Smith, Scott Barlow, Sam Hentges, Hunter Gaddis and Emmanuel Clase combined for four nearly perfect frames in the win over Toronto.

Making his first appearance in his home country, Smith was the first man out of the bullpen after the Blue Jays' offense finally got to Allen. Before allowing two hits to open the sixth inning, Allen cruised through five scoreless frames, pushing his fastball in on the Blue Jays’ righty-stacked lineup to post efficient innings and end any threats.

“[Allen] threw the ball phenomenal tonight,” Vogt said. “He was just missing the inside corner, but I think it kind of kept them off balance and allowed him to open up the rest of the zone.”

With a few offensive strikes and an opposite-field homer from Will Brennan, Cleveland’s offense provided enough to back its pitchers. And when the Guardians give the ball to their relievers with a lead, confidence is at an all-time high.

“It's everybody in that bullpen,” Allen said. “Any time they take the ball from us, we’re confident that they're going to go out there and throw up zeros, get us out of whatever jam that we're in.”

The bullpen's dominance throughout this season has been impressive, but even more astounding is the fact that this is nothing new for Cleveland. Continued success by a relief corps can be one of the sport's most fickle facets, yet the Guardians have had a top-six bullpen by ERA in the AL in each of the past five seasons.

The main reference point for most of that stellar run has been the closer. Clase, who retired the heart of the Blue Jays' order on nine pitches (seven strikes) is on track to lead the American League in games finished and saves for a third straight season.

“He's been the best reliever in baseball,” Vogt said. “There's nothing that he's afraid of.”

Case in point: Clase's 21st save in 24 opportunities.

With his team sporting a two-run lead in the top of the ninth, the flame-throwing righty went straight to the heater to finish off the Blue Jays. Clase struck out Vladimir Guerrero Jr. before getting Bo Bichette and Justin Turner to ground out.

As Clase hucked in his ninth straight pitch over 100 mph, the righty skipped off the mound as Turner put a soft grounder in play. Andrés Giménez fielded the final out, and the closer turned to his catcher with a small smile growing on his face.

Clase lowered his ERA to 0.81 as he put a cap on Cleveland's latest bullpen masterpiece.