Williams' 45-pitch inning further increases load for depleted bullpen

CLEVELAND -- By the time the third out was recorded in the top of the second inning on Monday, Gavin Williams’ pitch count rested at 61. That’s where it ultimately finished.

Williams struggled on Monday in the Guardians' 11-1 loss to the Twins at Progressive Field, allowing four runs on seven hits and two walks in just two innings. That included a 45-pitch second inning, which ultimately spelled the end of his night.

The 45 pitches marked the fourth-most thrown by a pitcher in an inning this season, behind Kevin Gausman (53 on Sunday), Marcus Stroman (46 on April 11) and Tyler Kinley (46 on Friday).

“Tough night for Gavin,” manager Stephen Vogt said. “We've seen him better. We know he's better than what he showed. Just a tough night.”

Williams was coming off his best start of the season, when he allowed two runs in 6 1/3 innings on Monday against the Yankees. But the Twins got to him early. Edouard Julien hit his first pitch, a 95.7 mph four-seam fastball up in the zone, over the center-field fence for a leadoff home run.

Following Julien’s solo homer in the first, Carlos Correa and Ty France each had base hits off Williams’ four-seamer. Ryan Jeffers doubled off a four-seamer to give Minnesota a 2-0 lead. The Twins scored twice more in the second, sending eight batters to the plate.

After Williams induced a groundout to start the second, Jonah Bride singled and Harrison Bader walked in a seven-pitch plate appearance, taking a curveball down and away for ball four. Julien followed Bader, and he also walked in a seven-pitch plate appearance. He didn’t offer at three curveballs out of the zone, including one in the dirt that was ball four.

Four of the seven hits Williams surrendered on Monday came on his four-seam fastball. He threw a combined 29 curveballs and sweepers, and 16 were taken for a ball or called strike.

“They were just spitting on all the offspeed,” Williams said. “Didn't really budge at it but a couple times. And then I wasn't making my pitch for the fastball, really. I was all over the place. It can't really happen.”

“I think [he was] spraying the ball quite a bit,” Vogt said. “They jumped his fastball in the first inning and then [went] to make the adjustment to start using more offspeed. [He was] just having a hard time landing it.”

It was a tough night overall for the Guardians, who are in a stretch where they’re playing 13 games in 12 days, after Saturday’s doubleheader against the Red Sox. That’s coming off a stretch where they played nine games in nine days.

The bullpen has carried a heavy load in recent days, given the doubleheader on Saturday, and it saw right-hander Paul Sewald-- who’s tied with Cade Smith for the team lead in appearances -- exit with right shoulder inflammation in the fifth inning Monday. Vogt said Sewald is going to get more testing on Tuesday, so the Guardians will know more then.

Cleveland avoided another scare in the third, when Jakob Junis took a comebacker off his left quad on a Bride single, and received attention from a trainer.

Junis said the liner got him just above the knee and on the inside of it. It didn’t bother his delivery, which allowed him to continue.

“I felt good enough to do it,” Junis said. “I definitely wanted to try, at least, because it was so early in the game. Try to eat up as many innings as I could, too, before handing off to the next guy. The bullpen is already a little short, so I wanted to help the boys out there.”