CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Guardians have built their identity around solid defense and contact hiting, but their series against the San Diego Padres has revealed concerning cracks in that foundation.
In the latest episode of the Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast, Paul Hoynes and Joe Noga dig into how the absence of Gold Glove second baseman Andrés Giménez is already being felt, particularly through Gabriel Arias’ short-term struggles.
“We’ve seen the Cleveland defense crack. It cracked last night in a big way late in the game,” Hoynes observed during the podcast discussion, highlighting how the Padres’ relentless offensive pressure eventually exposed Cleveland’s defensive vulnerabilities.
While there were flashes of defensive brilliance – including three double plays turned in the first four innings and a Stephen Kwan outfield assist – the consistency wasn’t there. The podcast hosts pointed to a pivotal moment involving Gabriel Arias that changed the complexion of Tuesday’s game.
“The misplay in the seventh inning really opened the door to a two-run inning,” Hoynes explained, detailing Arias’ mental lapse that proved costly. “It was like a split second decision. He was going to (throw) home, then he changed his mind, then he bobbled the ball. It was not his best moment.”
What makes this situation particularly frustrating for Guardians fans is that Andrés Giménez isn’t just providing Gold Glove defense for his new team in Toronto – he’s hitting well too, something he struggled with last season in Cleveland.
Hoynes didn’t mince words about the defensive downgrade: “Obviously they’re missing Giménez. That’s the difference between having an untested second baseman and a three-time Gold Glove winner playing the same position. You knew they were giving up something when they traded Giménez, and we’re starting to see the difference here.”
The podcast hosts also highlighted how the Padres’ aggressive baserunning further exploited Cleveland’s defensive issues, with San Diego stealing three bases in the seventh inning alone and “running wild” according to Hoynes. The pressure from the Padres’ “track team” speed only amplified the defensive miscues.
Arias’s struggles appear to be partly mental – something Noga referenced when discussing his development: “At times there’s just been mental lapses and I think those are some of the maturity issues that cropped up the last couple of seasons with him.”
The cure for these defensive woes? According to Hoynes, it starts with the offense providing some breathing room: “They’ve got to score some runs,” Hoynes said. “Offense helps the defense and vice versa.”
For the complete analysis of the Guardians’ defensive challenges and how they might address them going forward, tune in to the full episode of the Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast with Joe Noga and Paul Hoynes.
Note: Artificial intelligence was used to help generate this story from the Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast by cleveland.com. Visitors to cleveland.com have asked for more text stories based on website podcast discussions.