Cecconi continues to trend upward in another strong start against Crew
MILWAUKEE — Slade Cecconi walked off the mound Tuesday night having done his job.
Again.
The right-hander continued one of the strongest stretches of his young career, limiting the Brewers to one run across 5 2/3 innings in a 2-1 loss at American Family Field. But on a night when the Guardians went 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position and left seven on base, another good start was wasted by a pitcher who continues to trend upward at exactly the right time.
“Slade was outstanding,” manager Stephen Vogt said. “I don’t know the exact number, but probably close to 75-80 percent first-pitch strikes. Getting ahead, working ahead, weak contact. Obviously, outside the one homer, I felt like they didn’t really do much against him.”
That’s becoming a familiar theme.
Since an uneven start to the season, Cecconi has quietly become one of Cleveland’s most reliable starters. Tuesday marked his third consecutive strong outing, and it showcased many of the adjustments that have fueled his recent surge.
Cecconi’s lone mistake came on Brice Turang’s solo homer, but otherwise, Milwaukee struggled to square him up. Cecconi scattered three hits, walked two and struck out four while throwing 82 pitches before exiting with two outs in the sixth inning.
For Cecconi, the recent success isn’t tied to one pitch or one mechanical tweak. It starts with routine.
“Just consistency,” Cecconi said. “The hardest thing to do in this game is to be extremely consistent for nine consecutive months, day in and day out. Consistent performance stems from consistent preparation, consistent routines. Consistency breeds consistency.”
A developing slider has become a key part of that formula.
Cecconi spent much of the early season searching for a reliable bridge pitch after shelving his sweeper. Against Milwaukee, he felt the slider was as sharp as it has been all season, giving him another weapon to pair with his cutter and curveball.
Vogt believes the improved secondary pitches have been central to Cecconi’s rise.
“Early in the year, Slade was having trouble finding the spin,” Vogt said. “He’s found it. He’s pitching, throwing strikes, getting ahead, using the three fastballs. Slade’s trending upward, which is tough to do in season, but he’s doing it.”
Unfortunately for Cleveland, the offense couldn’t provide much support.
The Guardians consistently put pressure on Milwaukee’s pitching staff, particularly early against starter Robert Gasser. Cleveland forced long at-bats and elevated pitch counts, but repeatedly came away empty-handed in key moments.
“I thought we got a lot of pressure on [Gasser],” Vogt said. “I thought we made him work. We just weren’t able to get a big hit.”
The missed opportunities have become increasingly magnified as injuries continue to reshape Cleveland’s lineup.
The Guardians are without José Ramírez, who underwent surgery earlier on Tuesday to repair a fractured hamate bone. In addition, Angel Martínez will miss four to six weeks after additional imaging revealed a fracture in his left foot.
Those absences remove two of Cleveland’s most productive offensive players from the lineup at a time when run production is already difficult to come by.
Still, Cecconi wasn’t interested in using injuries as an explanation.
“I believe in all the guys in this locker room,” he said. “We’ve got to keep grinding out at-bats, keep grinding out pitches, working our walks, finding holes, slugging when we get the chance. It’s a game of inches.”
That belief was briefly rewarded in the seventh inning.
Gabriel Arias, activated on Sunday after a lengthy stint on the injured list, delivered Cleveland’s lone run with an opposite-field RBI single to score Stuart Fairchild and tie the game at 1.
It capped a two-hit night for Arias, whose return could become increasingly important as the Guardians navigate a growing list of injuries.
But the tie lasted only minutes.
Hunter Gaddis entered in the bottom of the seventh, and Garrett Mitchell immediately launched a go-ahead homer to right-center to send Cleveland to another frustrating loss in a game where its pitching largely did enough to win.
For Cecconi, it was another reminder of the thin margins that often define baseball.
“You are aware of it,” Cecconi said of pitching in games with a lack of run support. “A solo homer can beat you in a super-tight game like that. Ninety-plus percent of my pitches are thrown with the exact same intent, but situationally there are times where you’re conscious that you absolutely can’t give one up.”