Logan Allen victimized by Guardians’ poor defense in 8-2 loss to Astros
Updated: May. 02, 2024, 10:59 p.m.|Published: May. 02, 2024, 10:52 p.m.
By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com
HOUSTON -- The box score says that Logan Allen allowed three runs on Thursday night at Minute Maid Park. Sometimes the box score doesn’t tell the whole truth.
Allen, with a little more more help from his defense, could have left his start against the Astros with no runs allowed and a possible victory.
As it was, Allen and the Guardians ended this six-game trip with an 8-2 loss to the Astros because they didn’t score enough runs against a rookie pitcher and played some of their worst defense of the season.
The strange thing is the game started with Gold Glove second baseman Andres Gimenez putting on a clinic with three fine plays in the first two innings. It was all downhill from there.
For starters, Allen had to get five outs in the third inning, but he emerged from that with a 2-1 lead.
The real damage was done in the fifth when the Gabriel Arias experiment in center field may have taken its last breath.
Allen started the sixth with a 2-1 lead. He struck out Kyle Tucker, but Jeremy Pena sent a fly ball to the wall in left center field. Arias, making just his second start in center because Tyler Freeman is in a slump, tracked the ball down and was in position to make the catch. The ball, however, glanced off his glove with Pena being credited with a triple.
Yainer Diaz, the next batter, struck out. The inning would have been over if Arias made the catch. But Jon Singleton, who started Allen’s problems in the third with a Minute Maid Park roof ball, continued them with a two-run homer to right for a 3-2 lead.
Allen was done for the night and so were the Guardians.
Arias, though, was just getting loose in center field.
Jake Meyers started the seventh with a liner to center. Arias tried to make a sliding catch, but missed and kicked the ball to wall. Meyers didn’t stop running until he reached third. Houston’s second triple in as many innings off Arias’ body led to a five-run inning and a 8-2 lead.
Tyler Beede was charged with all five runs in one-third of an inning.
The Guardians took a 2-0 lead in the third off Houston rookie Spencer Arrighetti, who entered the game at 0-3 with a 10.97 ERA. Gimenez hit a RBI double and slumping Jose Ramirez followed with a sacrifice fly.
Brayan Rocchio doubled with one out to put the inning in motion. Arrighetti walked Steven Kwan to bring Gimenez to the plate. Gimenez worked the count full before doubling to right on the sixth pitch of the at-bat to score Rocchio and send Kwan to third.
Ramirez, in a 3 for 21 skid, sent a fly ball to medium deep left field. Kwan, sliding to the front of the plate, scored ahead of a strong throw from Mauricio Dubon as Gimenez went to third.
The Guards had a chance to do more damage when Josh Naylor walked on a pitch clock violation by Arrighetti. But Will Brennan’s drive to left was caught at the track.
The Astros made it 2-1 in the third with the help of Minute Maid Park’s retractable roof and some poor defense that made Allen to get five outs in the inning.
Singleton started the inning with a foul pop behind the plate. Bo Naylor was parked under it for the out, but the ball never came down. According to the ballpark ground rules, it was a foul ball. Singleton continued his at bat and reached on a single to third.
Dubon followed with a single, but Allen struck out Jake Meyers for what should have been the second out. Jose Altuve was next and with the count 3-2 Houston’s second baseman skied a foul ball in front of the Houston dugout.
The Naylor brothers converged on it from first and catcher and let the ball fall between them for what should have been the third out of the inning.
Altuve followed with an infield single to load the base. Gimenez saved a run by keeping the ball from reaching the outfield.
Allen retired Alex Bregman on a pop up, but Singleton scored on a passed ball by Bo Naylor to make it 2-1 with Yordan Alvarez batting. Allen finally retired Alvarez for the fifth and final out of the inning.
In his seventh start of season, Allen (3-2, 5.11) allowed three runs, two earned, in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out five and walked one.
Next:
The Guardians return home to open a three-game series against the Angels on Friday night. T
he pitching matchup will be RHP Trevor Stephan (2-0, 3.45) vs. RHP Jose Soriano (0-4, 4.76) at 7:10 p.m. Bally Sports Great Lakes, WTAM, WMMS, WARF will carry the series. MLB-At-Bat will carry Friday’s game.
<
