Tag Archives: Nick Wittgren

Jose Ramirez homers twice in Cleveland’s 4-2 win

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The Cleveland third baseman slugged two homers and drove in all four runs in the 4-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals.

What is better than just one home run pitch? Two home run pitches! That is exactly what Jose Ramirez got in the Cleveland Baseball Club’s series splitting victory Wednesday. The first acme in the bottom of the 6th with Cleveland down 1-0. With Cesar Hernandez on first, Ramirez drove a pitch from Jesse Hahn into the right field stands.

Later the game was tied and Cleveland needed a hero. Who else but Jose Ramirez? After a Ben Gamel walk to start the inning, Ramirez drove a Greg Holland slider into the right field stands. This was the second home run of the day from Ramirez that went into deep right field.

Jose Ramirez finished the day 2-4 bringing his slash line up to .350/.381/.700 on the year.

Ramirez was not the only star for Cleveland today as Shane Bieber got the start and dazzled. Bieber struck out 12 Royals in 6.1 innings while allowing 2 runs on 3 hits. The only issue for the reigning Cy Young winner was the four free passes. Bieber did enough to earn the win, but that was not the case sine James Karinchak allowed Kansas City’s second run of the game.

Emmanuel Clase and Nick WIttgren handled the final two frames and did not allow a baserunner. The flame throwing Clase stuck out two of the three batters he faced while Wittgren got three outs on balls in play to end the game and earn the save.

At 2-3 on the year, Cleveland has an off day Thursday before beginning a three-day series with the Detroit Tigers at Progressive Field.

Cleveland drops second straight game to Tigers

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The Cleveland Baseball Club did not have a great outing in their second game of the season, losing 5-2 to the Detroit Tigers.

There was a wide level of variance in regards to expectations this season for the Cleveland Baseball Club. After their first two games it seems that the team is on the expected worst case scenario end of the spectrum. Cleveland failed to bounce back from their Opening Day loss to Detroit, losing this tine by a score of 5-2.

Cleveland’s starter was Zach Plesac and he even pitched well enough to earn a win on a different day. Plesac did allow quite a bit of traffic on the base paths (6 hits, 2 walks), but he only allowed 2 runs and struck our 4 batters in his 6 innings of work. The real issues came after Plesac left the game. Nick Wittgren was the first Cleveland reliever to take the mound and Detroit was more than ready to face him. Wittgren failed to get out of the inning as he allowed 3 runs on 3 hits and 2 walks in just two-thirds of an inning. The knockout blow was a bases loaded RBI single for Nomar Mazara to make it a 5-1 lead.

The Cleveland offense was basically Eddie Rosario. Rosario launched his first home run of the season in the 2nd inning and would drive in another run on a sacrifice fly in the 8th. Besides that it was a rather uninspiring performance at the plate.

Cleveland now heads into Sunday in a situation nobody could have predicted, trying to avoid a sweep. Considering that their offense has been mostly punchless, being on the wrong side of the sweep is a realistic possibility.

Nick Wittgren, Cleveland avoid arbitration

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The Cleveland Baseball Club has avoided arbitration and agreed to a contract that will pay the relief pitcher $2 million in 2021.

Not too long ago, the Cleveland Baseball Club tendered Nick Wittgren a contract. The two sides have avoided arbitration by agreeing to a $2 million contract for the upcoming season.

Nick Wittgren is not the most dynamic or electric arm in the Cleveland bullpen, but he is still an important piece. Wittgren is a reliever that Cleveland can turn to on a fairly regular basis and help the process of going from the starter to the closer. Wittgren has a 2.99 ERA and 1.057 WHIP in 81.1 innings during his time in Cleveland.

Nick Wittgren tendered contract

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The Cleveland Baseball Club has tendered a contract to the 29-year old right handed reliever.

Nick Wittgren appears to be in the Cleveland Baseball Club’s plans for the 2021 season as they have tendered the reliever a contract. Wittgren came to Cleveland via trade prior to the 2019 season.

Since coming to Cleveland, Nick Wittgren has been a fairly dependable arm out of the bullpen. Wittgren has a 2.99 ERA, 1.057 WHIP, and a 7.2 K/9 in 81.1 innings, mostly an improvement over his 127.2 innings with the Marlins form 2016-18.

With the arms in Cleveland’s bullpen, Nick Wittgren doesn’t need to be the guy. All Wittgren has to be is someone who can take the ball in between the starter and the back of the bullpen arms. That is exactly what he has done during his 80 appearances in Cleveland so far.

Cleveland loses in ridiculous fashion

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The Cleveland Baseball Club lost in the most ridiculous way Tuesday night with two consecutive HBP’s including one with the bsaes loaded.

Nick Wittgren did not have a good outing for the Cleveland Baseball Club Tuesday night. After hitting Willson Contreras to load the bases with one out, Wittgren hit Cameron Maybin on the first pitch of his at-bat which allowed the Cubs to win 6-5.

While the focus of the game is on the outcome (another loss), there other things to look at for Cleveland. Carlos Carrasco started the game and lasted 6 innings, his fourth straight outing which lasted 6 or more after failing to pitch more than 4.1 in the previous three outings. Carrasco allowed 3 runs on 8 hits and 1 walk while striking out 5.

James Karinchak came into the game with the score tied at 3 and gave up 1 run, temporarily giving the Cubs the lead. That lead would be extended to 2 after Chicago added another in the 8th.

Offensively Cleveland saw some signs of life which are encouraging. The team totaled 11 hits and scored 5 runs. This is a step in the right direction after the team has struggled at the plate all season long.

Francisco Lindor headlined all Cleveland batters as he went 3-4 including a two-run game-tying home run in the 9th. Lindor also drove in runs during the 3rd and 5th innings.

Cleveland got some unexpected production from two of their outfielders, Tyler Naquin and Delino DeShields. Naquin went 4-4 with a double and DeShields was 3-4 with 2 doubles.

The Cleveland Baseball Club will look to snap their seven-game losing streak Wednesday at 8:15 P.M.

Cleveland Baseball Club’s bullpen is a wild card

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The bullpen for the Cleveland Baseball Club appears to be a gigantic question mark and possible weakness as they begin the 2020 MLB season.

When it comes to the Cleveland Baseball Club the rotation is solid. Their lineup has some great players such as Francisco Lindor, Jose Ramirez, and Carlos Santana as well as some interesting pieces in the outfield. With all that being said it is their bullpen which is a complete wild card. The loss of Emmanuel Clase due to an injury and then a PED suspension is not helping matters whatsoever.

Cleveland’s best options

Brad Hand had a great first half to 2019, but the second half was less than stellar. Opponents slashed .200/.265/.304/.569 off of Hand in his first 39 appearances last season with nine earned runs in 37.1 innings. That ballooned to .310/.383/.512/.895 with 12 earned runs in 20 innings (21 appearances). Perhaps the shortened season could prevent another drop in performance this season, otherwise Cleveland will have some shuffling to do at the end of their bullpen, something they cannot afford to do.

Nick Wittgren is a competent bullpen arm, but he is more of middle innings type of reliever. Wittgren is not someone that Terry Francona can rely on heavily and in close game situations. While the former Marlin is an adequate pitcher, he is a far cry from the old go-to guys such as Bryan Shaw, Andrew Miller, and Cody Allen.

James Karinchak is a strikeout machine. Karinchak should be able to step in an be a dependable reliever for Cleveland as long as he can command his stuff. The 24-year old reliever has a ton of upside and could make a huge difference for the bullpen this season.

Absolute Wild Cards

Adam Cimber is a fun guy to watch with his submarine delivery, but he has been hit around quite frequently since coming to Cleveland. Cimber allowed 28 runs in 56.2 innings last season, hardly encouraging from someone who made 68 appearances in 2019. Cimber is someone where everything has to go right for him to be effective, but so far that has not happened often enough.

Oliver Perez is a complete wild card. With the new three batter minimum rule Perez could be limited to short appearances. Perez may have to come in with two outs already or he will have to adapt to be able to pitch an entire inning. Considering his age there is always that moment where a reliever is no longer effective. Tito will have to monitor him closely to ensure that this does not happen this season. Perhaps this leads to more appearances than anticipated for the former starter.

Adam Plutko is in the bullpen after not making the rotation. Plutko seems to be a guy destined for mop up duty either way. There are plenty of other arms in the bullpen who can be utilized in pressure situations. Although, it is worth mentioning the Plutko does seem to have the trust of Terry Francona, a factor that cannot be discounted.

End of the bullpen arms

Dominic Leone has not really found a place in his six-year career. Leone has played for four teams with Cleveland being his fifth. 2017 in Toronto was his best season with a 2.56 ERA and 1.052 WHIP in 70.1 innings, but that seems to be an outlier. Leone’s last two seasons in St. Louis did not come close to meeting that performance where he ended up with a 4.77 ERA and 1.485 WHIP in 64.2 innings.

Phil Maton pitched fairly well in his limited action in Cleveland last season with a 2.92 ERA and .811 WHIP in 12.1 innings and 9.5 K/9. While this is the literal definition of small sample size, the club has seen enough from him to put him on the initial roster.

Cameron Hill is yet to make his MLB debut. Hill has been impressive in the minors with a 2.56 ERA and 1.110 WHIP in 185 games with a 8.5 K/9. Like the others in this group, Hill may have limited chances and could be part of the progressive roster cut downs.

Indians bullpen can’t hold lead against A’s

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The Cleveland Indians bullpen were unable to keep the lead as they allowed 4 runs in the final 3 innings as they lost 7-6 to the Oakland Athletics. Normally this is not an issue as it is only Spring Training, but it is the relievers who struggled that make it quite alarming. 

Oliver Perez, Nick Wittgren, and Hunter Wood combined to allow five runs in 2.2 innings. Oakland collected five hits and walked once off of some key Indians relievers. While this is only one game, Tito could end up having to give these particular pitchers plenty of appearances this season. If they pitch anything remotely close to this it would make fans clamor for the days of Bryan Shaw. 

Now onto some good news. Shane Bieber pitched 4 innings to start the game and allowed only 2 hits and struck out 7. Bieber certainly proved why Terry Francona felt comfortable naming him the Opening Day Starter. 

The Indians had a good 2nd inning at the plate. Cleveland scored 4 runs in the inning. Mike Freeman drove in the first run with an RBI single. Daniel Johnson scored on a passed ball to make it 2-0. Jordan Luplow hit a rare homer off a righty to give  Cleveland a four-run lead. Carlos Santana hit a two-run shot in the 6th inning to give the Tribe a 6-3 lead. 

The Indians will face the Cubs at 3:05 P.M. Saturday. This will be a split squad affair for Chicago.The other half of the team will face the Cincinnati Reds.

Indians bounce back, defeat D’Backs 6-2

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The Cleveland Indians managed to snap a three-game losing streak by defeating the Arizona Diamondbacks by a score of 6-2.

Cactus League play has not been kind to the Cleveland Indians. The Tribe are 4-9 after defeating the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-2 Wednesday. This win snapped a three-game losing streak.

Hitters of note

Francisco Lindor continues to rake in Arizona. Lindor blasted a three-run homer in the Top of the 3rd to give the Indians a 4-0 lead.

https://twitter.com/ThisIsIndians/status/1235318872854716416?s=20

Christian Arroyo continues to fight for the Tribe’s utility role. Arroyo went 2-3 with a run scored Wednesday raising his slash line to .389/.421/.556. Arroyo’s competition (Mike Freeman) is also having a good spring. Freeman went 1-4 with a run scored. Freeman is slashing .308/.438/.462 during Spring Training.

Jake Bauers seems to be losing his chance at making the Opening Day roster. Bauers went 0-4 with 4 strikeouts. This is not a good sign for someone that had a clear path to make the team out of Arizona.

Pitchers of note

Aaron Civale made his spring debut and was excellent. Civale only allowed one baserunner (a walk) and struck out 3 batters in his 2 innings of work. It’s early, but Civale looks ready.

Adam Cimber did not have a good outing for the Indians. Cimber allowed 2 runs on 2 hits and struck out 1 batter.

Nick Wittgren took the mound in the 4th inning and did not allow a baserunner while striking out 1 batter.

Logan Allen pitched the final 2 innings and struck out 3 batters while keeping the D’Backs off the base paths.

Cleveland will take on the San Francisco Giants Thursday at 3:05 P.M.

Indians come up short against Dodgers 6-5

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The Cleveland Indians were not able to complete thir rally as they come up short against the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-5 in Goodyear, Arizona.

The Cleveland Indians lost their second straight game in Arizona as they lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers by a score of 6-5. Los Angeles jumped all over the Tribe in two key innings which was the difference in the game.

Hitters of note

Francisco Lindor went 2-3. continuing his impressive spring, his only out being a strikeout. Lindor is slashing .500/.500/.1.000 in Arizona.

Jose Ramirez went 1-3 on the day, striking out once.

Domingo Santana’s only hit of the day was a surprising two-run triple. Santana has two career triples in 492 MLB games.

Bobby Bradley hit his first home run of the spring in the 8th inning, a two-run shot which brought the Indians within one.

Pitchers of note

Jefry Rodriguez got the start, but struggled mightily. Rodriguez allowed three runs on one hit while walking two and striking out one. All of the damage came off a three-run homer off the bat of Kike Hernandez.

Two runs came around to score while Nick Wittgren was on the mound, although only one was earned. Wittgren gave up one hit, walked one, and struck out another.

The Indians will take on the White Sox again Friday at 3:05 P.M.

Indians-Nick Wittgren agree to deal

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The Cleveland Indians and relief pitcher Nick Wittgren have come to terms on a one-year $1.125 million deal to avoid arbitration.

The Indians are making sure one of their more reliable bullpen arms remains in Cleveland. Agreeing to a one-year deal with Nick Wittgren on a one-year deal worth $1.125 million.

Nick Wittgren came to Cleveland after being designated for assignment by Miami. The Indians sent Jordan Milbrath to Miami to complete the trade. Nick Wittgren’s arrival was relatively unheralded, but he proved his worth in 2019.

Wittgren set several career bests in 2019. Wittgren pitched 57.2 innings in 55 games, compiling a 2.81 ERA, 1.075 WHIP, 60 strikeouts, and saving four games.

What matters here is that Wittgren was able to pitch a whole inning if needed. With the incoming three batter minimum rule this will matter. Specialists such as Oliver Perez will have a tougher time being called upon on a regular basis. The fact that Tito can call done to pen and get an inning out of WIttgren is huge.

Cleveland will be depending on Nick Wittgren this season. The Tribe bullpen is still a work in progress. What will they get out of Adam Cimber, Emmanuel Clase, Hunter Wood, and James Karinchak? Will Carlos Carrasco be a part of their bullpen plans or pivot back to the starting rotation?

One thing is for sure. The Indians should be able to count on Nick Wittgren to perform when called upon.