Field Level Media
06 Jun 2023, 12:25 GMT+10
Cleveland Guardians outfielder Will Brennan boasts an unremarkable track record, but the 25-year-old Colorado native may hold the key to the team's search for offensive consistency.
Brennan will look to continue his hot streak when the Guardians open a three-game series against the visiting Boston Red Sox on Tuesday. Cleveland has won two straight, while Boston is beginning a six-game road trip after losing the final three in a four-game set against the Tampa Bay Rays.
After batting .204 in April and struggling for most of May, Brennan is 11-for-21 (.524) in his past six games. He made his major league debut last year, appearing in 11 late-season games.
"I'm just growing up every single game up here," Brennan said. "You have to take a step back and look at what's going on. It's pretty awesome to see what you're doing every day. You're playing in the big leagues. Struggle comes along with that."
Cleveland also received a much-needed boost last week from first baseman Josh Naylor and second baseman Andres Gimenez, who were a combined 20-for-50 (.400) as the Guardians went 4-3 on a road trip to Baltimore and Minnesota last week.
Cleveland's biggest need is more production at the bottom of the order. Brennan could help address that issue with his continued development.
"This might sound dramatic," Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan said, "but he might be one of our best players once he gets going. He has contact, power, he can run and has a great arm. If he gets going, I think we can be in a really good position."
The Guardians are beginning a six-game homestand with the series against Boston, which is 30-30. The Red Sox have scored a total of five runs during their three-game skid.
"I don't want to sound pessimistic or negative, but we have to do it," Boston manager Alex Cora said. "We can talk all the talk. We can say that we're better than this and all that. But at the end, we have to be better. We have to go out there and perform."
The Red Sox will send left-hander James Paxton (1-1, 4.26 ERA) to the mound in the series opener. He allowed one run and struck out eight over five innings in a no-decision against the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday.
Paxton pitched a total of 21 2/3 innings over the previous three seasons due to a number of injuries. He has allowed two or fewer runs in three of his first four outings this season, logging 27 strikeouts in 19 innings.
"I really didn't know what to expect," Paxton said. "Coming back through the minor leagues, I think I was topping out at 96, 97 (mph with the fastball). But it's just not the same atmosphere as pitching in the big leagues. I'm just going out there and letting it rip and it's feeling good coming out."
Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez is 2-for-14 against Paxton, who is 1-3 with a 5.47 ERA in five career starts against the Guardians.
Cleveland will counter with right-hander Shane Bieber (4-3, 3.72 ERA), who allowed seven runs over four innings against the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday.
Bieber has gone 3-3 with a 5.50 ERA in six career games (five starts) vs. Boston. He yielded two runs over seven frames in a 5-2 road victory over the Red Sox on April 28.
Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers is 3-for-13 (.231) against Bieber with two home runs.
--Field Level MediaGet a daily dose of Cleveland Star news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Cleveland Star.
More InformationPLANO, Texas: Toyota Motor will raise prices across a range of vehicles in the United States starting next month, the Japanese automaker...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: U.S. business activity showed signs of softening in June while inflationary pressures continued to build, driven...
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stock markest closed sharply higher on Tuesday as a truce entered into between Irsael and Iran after 12 days...
MENLO PARK, California: Meta is taking another swing at smart eyewear—this time with a sporty edge. The company announced a new partnership...
NEW YORK CITY, New York: U.S. stocks went up and oil prices fell this week as investors hoped that Iran would not block the global...
BARCELONA, Spain: Residents of Barcelona have devised a novel way to protest the presence of tourists in their city. Using a cheap...
ABU DHABI, 19th June, 2025 (WAM) -- Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi has become the first and only research hospital in the UAE to receive...
ABU DHABI, 17th June, 2025 (WAM) -- Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, part of the M42 group, has successfully introduced continuous infusion...
ABU DHABI, 9th June, 2025 (WAM) -- Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi has successfully performed the UAE's first robotic cytoreductive surgery...
ABU DHABI,16th May, 2025 (WAM) - Oracle Health, Cleveland Clinic, and G42 today announced a strategic partnership to develop a groundbreaking...
ABU DHABI, 6th May, 2025 (WAM) -- PureHealth and its subsidiary SEHA have partnered with the number one US children's hospital, Cincinnati...
Teresa Varley Over the last few months, Steelers rookies have been getting an introduction to NFL football. From learning the playbook...