Guardians losing streak reaches 10 games

CLEVELAND – The Guardians were one pitch away. Unfortunately, they extended their losing streak to 10 games in a row Sunday with a heart-wrenching 7-2 loss to the Detroit Tigers before 30,953 at Progressive Field. It's their first 10-game skid since 2012. Nursing a 1-0 lead with two outs in the ninth, Cleveland closer Emmanuel Clase uncorked an untimely wild pitch that allowed Detroit pinch-runner Zach McKinstry to tie the score at 1-1. One pitch later, Clase struck out center fielder Parker Meadows to end the inning. "It was a spiked cutter at 100 mph," Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. "It's tough to stay in front of it. It was a tough time for that to happen." Cleveland catcher Bo Naylor said the play is "purely reaction" and that the ball beat him to the spot. "It sucks that one got away," he said. "It's back to the drawing board to make sure it doesn't happen again." Clase suffered his fourth blown save of the season. Things unraveled in the 10th for the Guardians when usually reliable reliever Cade Smith imploded. Smith (2-3) allowed five hits, six runs (four earned) and two home runs in one-third of an inning and was saddled with the loss. It ruined a magnificent pitching performance by Cleveland starter Gavin Williams, who pitched six shutout innings and allowed one hit and three walks. He struck out seven batters. "Gavin was unbelievable," Vogt said. "That's as good as I've seen him. It came on a day we needed a start like that. That was the bright spot in the game." Williams was locked in an old-fashioned pitching duel with perhaps the best pitcher in baseball, Tigers left-hander Tariq Skubal. Williams matched him pitch-for-pitch and allowed only a single by third baseman Javier Baez with two outs in the fifth. "I felt like I had everything going," Williams said. "I'm trying to get better in every outing." He said he wasn't much concerned that he was going against Skubal, who is trying to win back-to-back Cy Young Awards. "He's just another guy on the other team," Williams said. That other guy struck out 10 on Sunday. Skubal has fanned 10 or more batters six times this season, best in the majors, and 13 times in his career. Both starting pitchers left with no-decisions. Skubal had won 10 decisions in a row. "We're seeing the best in the league," Vogt said of Skubal. "Gavin has some of the best stuff in the league. The strives Gavin has made this year are amazing. The adjustments he's made are super impressive." The Guardians, who have been shut out five times in their previous nine games, finally pushed across a run in the bottom of the eighth when Stephen Kwan's double drove in pinch-runner Daniel Schneemann. Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson was hit by a pitch by Clase to open the ninth. McKinstry stole second base, on a play that was overturned by instant replay. He then moved to third on a groundout, before scoring on the wild pitch. Instead of finally snapping Cleveland's losing streak, it gave the Tigers new life. Shortstop Trey Sweeney put the Guardians out of their misery with a three-run homer in the top of the 10th off Smith. Left fielder Riley Greene later belted a two-run shot to turn the game into a rout. Vogt bemoaned the bottom of the ninth when Angel Martinez doubled to lead off the inning. He said Cleveland has to find a way to advance Martinez and get the run home. "We have to take care of the little things," Vogt said. The Guardians committed two errors in the top of the 10th that aided the Tigers' comeback. Bob Finnan can be reached at rfinnan30@gmail.com.