Guardians win in extras and Stephan's pitches are nasty, a breakdown

Apr 4, 2023 359.7K views 5:42

What Happened

In a tense extra-innings matchup between the Cleveland Guardians and the Seattle Mariners, right-handed reliever Trevor Stephan takes the mound for the Guardians. He immediately showcases his nasty repertoire, striking out the Mariners' batter with a series of sweeping sliders. However, the Guardians intentionally walk star hitter Jose Ramirez, bringing up a left-handed batter. Stephan adjusts his approach, mixing in some well-placed fastballs to jam the lefty. Despite loading the bases, Stephan induces an inning-ending double play, though the Guardians do concede a run. The Guardians fans react with a mixture of relief and frustration, as this has been a common occurrence for their team this season. Stephan's next battle is with Mariners outfielder AJ Pollock. The two engage in a classic pitcher-hitter duel, with Stephan working his entire arsenal - fastball, slider, and splitter-changeup. Pollock is clearly baffled by the movement and location of Stephan's pitches, swinging and missing several times. The crowd grows more and more excited with each swing and miss. Finally, Stephan unleashes a devastating splitter-changeup to strike out Pollock and end the inning. Guardians manager Terry Francona is visibly pleased with his reliever's performance, as Stephan has used all three of his plus pitches to keep the Mariners' hitters off-balance. In the bottom of the ninth, Guardians catcher Cal Raleigh steps to the plate. Stephan wastes no time, blowing him away with four consecutive inside fastballs to seal the victory for the Guardians. The home crowd erupts in cheers, appreciating Stephan's dominant outing and the Guardians' hard-fought win in extra innings. This thrilling finish capped off a back-and-forth affair between these two American League playoff contenders. The Guardians' bullpen, anchored by the electric Trevor Stephan, made the critical plays to secure the victory and continue their push for the postseason.

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Mariners and Guardians tied in extras

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