Guardians notes: Emmanuel Clase producing one of the finest seasons ever by a Cleveland closer

CLEVELAND — Another dominant appearance Sunday afternoon — three strikeouts on 12 pitches in a 4-2 series-clinching victory over the Rangers — strengthened closer Emmanuel Clase's case for the American League Cy Young award. If the award was only presented to a relief pitcher, Clase's name would already be on the trophy, according to manager Stephen Vogt. "It's tough to find (a season by a closer) that's been better," Vogt said. "There might be some equal, like (Tampa Bay's) Fernando Rodney in 2012, comes to mind, but this is something like we've … it's been hard to see, (Baltimore's) Zach Britton (in 2016), those are the seasons that you're thinking of. I've been fortunate to catch (Houston's) Josh Hader and some really good closers, but what Clase is doing, I haven't seen anything better." Though he throws 100-plus mph on a regular basis, Clase, who had converted a career-high 25 straight saves through Sunday, has avoided the pitfall of chasing strikeouts. He entered Monday owning 52 over 60 1/3 innings, sporting a major league-leading 38 saves and a microscopic 0.60 ERA in 60 games. "That's what's kept him efficient, he's willing to attack and yes, (Sunday) he was able to strike out the side in 11 pitches or whatever it was. But he is able to get weak contact and that's what keeps his pitch count down and that's where he's able to get out there two, three days in a row or four at one time. "It's the whole package with him. It's the stuff. It's the command. It's the willingness to let the other team put him in play that allows him to be who he is." Winning the Cy Young is a rare feat for relievers. Only five in MLB history have won the award, none since the Dodgers' Eric Gagne in 2003. Mike Marshall (Dodgers in 1974), Willie Hernandez (Tigers in 1984), Steve Bedrosian (Phillies in 1987) and Dennis Eckersley (A's in 1992) also won. Doctor's office RHP Alex Cobb's (broken fingernail) bullpen session Sunday went well, according to Vogt. The next step is live batting practice Tuesday for Cobb, who has made two starts for Cleveland since being acquired in a trade with the Giants, allowing five earned runs on 12 hits while striking out five over 10 1/3 innings. What a relief The Guardians employed an opener for the first time this season, using reliever Nick Sandlin to start Game 1 of the doubleheader against the Royals.It was Sandlin's first career MLB start. He last started in college at Southern Mississippi, where he went 10-0 with a 1.06 ERA in 16 outings as a junior in 2018. Hooray for Hosey Jose Ramirez has already become the first player in franchise history to record multiple seasons of 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases. Is 40-40 next? "I think winning's a priority for Hosey and that's why he is where he is," Vogt said. "I don't think this guy chases numbers. I do think his numbers are a byproduct of the way he plays baseball and any great player is like that. As a player, if you chase numbers, you're probably not going to get there, but if you attack each day and give it your best, your numbers will be there at the end of the year. "Hosey in particular, he just plays the game hard and plays the game the right way every single day and his numbers are a result of that. And 40-40, I wouldn't be shocked. I mean we've seen what this guy can do in one month." KC's masterpiece It's been quite a reversal of fortune for the Royals, who finished last in the Central Division last year, losing 106 games. Kansas City entered Monday tied with Minnesota for second place and in playoff contention with a 72-58 record — three games behind Cleveland. "I think they went out and added some veteran starting pitching that's been able to help them out quite a bit, and they've added some bullpen pieces that's been able to lock the games down," Vogt said. "This team could hit last year. Their offense is electric, dynamic. They can make things happen. They were the same offense last year. (Bobby) Witt's having a great year. Sally Perez just doesn't seem to know what getting old means. It's just a phenomenal team over there, offensively. I'm not shocked at all to see them do the turnaround that they have. This is a really good team." Roundin' third The Guardians entered Monday owning a 63-12 (.840) record when scoring four or more runs but was 12-43 (.218) when scoring three or fewer. Cleveland recalled Joey Cantillo from Triple-A Columbus to serve as the 27th man for Monday's doubleheader. Contact Chris Assenheimer at (440) 329-7136 or cassenheimer@chroniclet.com. Like him on Facebook and follow him @CAwesomeheimer on X.