NEW YORK -- José Ramírez sprinted to the pitcher’s mound in the sixth inning on Wednesday, when he met Guardians starter Luis L. Ortiz. As manager Stephen Vogt made his way out from the dugout to make a pitching change, Ramírez first wanted to congratulate Ortiz on a job well done.
Ortiz tossed 5 2/3 scoreless innings on Wednesday to lead the Guardians to a 4-0 win over the Yankees at Yankee Stadium. The big right-hander held New York to just three hits (all singles) and three walks while striking out seven. After Ramírez got to the mound, he tapped Ortiz on the chest several times.
Ortiz then doffed his cap to his family as he made his way back to Cleveland’s third-base dugout.
"It’s a big sense of pride [for me],” said Ortiz through team interpreter Agustin Rivero, regarding that moment with Ramírez. “He’s always a very big supporter of myself. It's a big moment for me, knowing somebody who supports me that much like he does when he pumps me up in those situations.”
The Guardians later put the finishing touches on their first shutout win at Yankee Stadium since Aug. 9, 2014. It started with Ortiz, whose performance continued an impressive start to June by the Guardians’ rotation.
After an uneven March/April, Guardians starters have been steadily building and making progress. And with ace Shane Bieber on the mend in his comeback from Tommy John surgery, this may just be a sign of more to come for Cleveland.
In March/April, the Guardians’ rotation recorded a 4.84 ERA (27th in the Majors) over 152 2/3 innings (23rd). In May, they posted a 3.60 ERA (13th), albeit in 137 2/3 innings (27th). Through three games in June, starters Gavin Williams, Tanner Bibee and Ortiz have combined to post a 1.45 ERA in 18 2/3 innings, with 19 strikeouts and seven walks.
"It's been a really good few weeks,” Vogt said. “I don't know all the exacts, but we are continuing to see these guys grow and learn and get better every time out.”
Ortiz might just be the poster child of that idea. His growth since Spring Training and the beginning of the season continues to be evident. The right-hander (whom Cleveland acquired from the Pirates in a trade involving Spencer Horwitz in December) had a 5.30 ERA over his first seven starts. He has a 2.28 ERA in 27 2/3 innings over his past five outings.
Ortiz said it all comes down to preparation and how he competes on the mound. Experience cannot be overlooked, either.
"[Pitching coach] Carl [Willis] and the pitching team have done a great job, but Louie has been putting in the work,” Vogt said. “We talk about it all the time. Our guys are learning how to do this every five days. They're learning how to build upon starts, and Louie has been one of our more consistent guys.
“We just continue to see growth and [him] making pitches when he needs to. It's been a lot of fun.”
Ortiz is at his best when he’s attacking the strike zone. Not only is his stuff good enough to beat hitters in the zone, but it allows his defense to help him out. In his previous start against the Yankees on April 23, he struggled with command and allowed four runs on five hits and five walks over 4 1/3 innings.
The right-hander issued a pair of leadoff walks on Wednesday (Paul Goldschmidt in the second, Trent Grisham in the sixth), but worked around both. He got a helping hand from Ramírez on the latter; the Guardians' star third baseman turned an unassisted double play on a ground ball off the bat of Ben Rice.
Ortiz’s growth is a welcomed sight for the Guardians, whose most consistent starter through the first two months -- right-hander Ben Lively -- underwent season-ending elbow surgery on Wednesday. Bieber, meanwhile, could be back in four weeks, give or take a few days.
Bieber should provide the staff with a boost, but he can’t singlehandedly carry the staff. Ortiz and the rest of the rotation need to keep producing as they have over the past calendar month-plus.
"That was outstanding to navigate that lineup like that,” Vogt said. “Quick outs, obviously a couple walks sprinkled in, but he was able to maneuver around them. Got some big punchouts when he needed it, and our defense was outstanding tonight. That's who we are, right there.
"But for Luis to get us through six like that, or almost through six, it was everything we needed tonight."