Allen makes best start of '25 to help secure 2nd straight shutout of Crew

CLEVELAND -- Logan Allen issued a leadoff single to Brewers center fielder Jackson Chourio on Tuesday. He didn’t have many more baserunners to concern himself with after that.

Allen delivered his strongest outing of the season on Tuesday to lead the Guardians to a 2-0 win over the Brewers at Progressive Field. The lefty threw six scoreless innings and limited Milwaukee to three hits and one walk while striking out six on just 89 pitches.

It marked Allen’s longest start of the season, and he also tied his season high in strikeouts (also April 15 against the Orioles). Matt Festa, Hunter Gaddis and Emmanuel Clase followed with a scoreless inning apiece.

“That was awesome,” manager Stephen Vogt said. “... [Allen] had everything working. He and Bo [Naylor] were in good rhythm, quick outs. Pitch count was awesome. For him to give us six, did his job. Bullpen took it from there.”

One of the oldest truisms in baseball is that hitting can be contagious for a lineup. But the Guardians’ starting rotation lately seems to be testing whether that theory can apply to them as well.

Guardians starters have a 2.15 ERA in 75 1/3 innings over the previous 14 games (since April 29), which ranks first in the Majors over that span (the Royals are second at 2.18). Cleveland is 10-4 over that stretch. Allen’s outing was the latest in a line of quality performances.

“We’re a team of five right there, so we're trying to pick each other up and feed off each other as best as we can,” Allen said. “That’s our job to go out there and try to save the bullpen as best as we can. So any time we go as deep in the games as we can, that's the goal, for sure.”

Allen’s outing picked up the Guardians' rotation after it was dealt some tough news pregame. Right-hander Ben Lively (who exited his start on Monday after three scoreless innings) landed on the 15-day injured list Tuesday with a right flexor tendon strain.

In eight starts, Allen has a 3.70 ERA -- which ranks second on the Guardians only to Lively (3.22 ERA in nine starts). But the lefty was coming off a tough start last time out, when he allowed three runs on seven hits and four walks over four innings on Wednesday against the Nationals.

Allen’s goal on Tuesday against Milwaukee was to get back to basics.

“Just executing our game plan,” Allen said. “Just putting pressure back on hitters. Not trying to get deep in counts, just go right after guys. Like I always say, let the defense work. We made a lot of great plays today. Bo and I were on the same page.”

Allen retired 13 consecutive Brewers hitters after Chourio’s single in the first, including three on strikeouts, before Brice Turang hit a one-out single in the fifth.

Clase, meanwhile, recorded his ninth save of the season while continuing a strong stretch following a rough April. Over his past eight appearances (dating to April 26), Clase has a 1.13 ERA in eight innings. He’s allowed two runs (one earned) on five hits and one walk while striking out 10, and has converted each of his five save opportunities in that span.

Clase had a 7.84 ERA through April 20, when he had allowed nine runs (all earned) on 20 hits and three walks in 10 1/3 innings with nine strikeouts. He suffered his second blown save of the season on April 20, against the Pirates, when he made his third appearance in as many days.

Clase reported he was feeling some right shoulder discomfort to the Guardians after that outing. He took five days off from game action, but since returning, he has put together an impressive stretch.

“I'm really happy that the work paid off a little bit from the little setback that we have previously,” Clase said through team interpreter Agustin Rivero. “Now, [I'm] back to having that confidence and that level of comfort that I was feeling from the mound. It really shows up and I’m really happy that we were able to get to the point where I feel the most comfortable there.”

Clase’s cutter averaged 100.5 mph and maxed out at 102 mph against the Brewers. Entering Tuesday, it was averaging 99.0 mph this season, down slightly from 2024 (99.5 mph).

“Again, credit to our medical staff for getting him back out on the field five days after that," Vogt said. "We knew as soon as he felt right -- like [I've] said all year -- he's our closer. He's the best closer in the world. He hit 102 tonight, putting it where he wants to. He's been great.”