Josh Bell needed a pick-me-up, and the first-year Cleveland Guardians slugger might be in the right place for that.
The Guardians are facing one of Bell’s former teams, the Nationals, this weekend in Washington, so it would be a good opportunity for the designated hitter/first baseman to get on a tear.
The teams meet again Saturday afternoon after Bell homered and doubled in Cleveland’s 4-3 comeback victory on Friday.
“It was good to get back in the cages here and get back to a (batter’s) box I’m familiar with,” Bell said. “Hopefully, this is a step in the right direction.”
Bell played the 2021 season and most of the 2022 season with the Nationals before a trade to the San Diego Padres. He sputtered with the Guardians, going 5-for-46 (.109) with no homers entering the weekend series, so he needed a breakout.
“You’re never looking to see the glass half-empty,” Cleveland manager Terry Francona said. “He took some really good swings. You could see in our dugout how excited they were for him.”
The return to Nationals Park might have been a good tonic. He was embraced by many of the fans even as he was hitting his first home run in a Cleveland uniform.
“It always feels good,” Bell said. “You play long enough, you get some fans no matter where you go. Hopefully, I’ve got some more fans in Cleveland now, too.”
Heading into the middle game of a three-game series, the Nationals have won only one of seven home games this year.
“We played good for six innings,” Washington manager Davey Martinez said after the Friday game, which the Nationals led by three runs entering the sixth. “It’s tough to lose the game like that when you’re up 3-0 and you’ve got your bullpen out there that has been rock solid.”
Right-hander Chad Kuhl (0-0, 8.10 ERA) will be Washington’s starter on Saturday. He has gone five innings in both his outings this season, with the Nationals losing each time. Against Cleveland in his career, he is 1-1 with a 2.45 ERA in two starts, including a loss last June.
Cleveland will have right-hander Zack Plesac (0-0, 9.00 ERA) as its starter. He worked seven innings and gave up two runs in a no-decision against the Seattle Mariners on Sunday.
Plesac, who has surrendered a home run in both of his starts, was the starter in two games that went to extra innings this season. He has made one career appearance against Washington, when he gave up two runs in a five-inning start as a rookie near the end of the 2019 season.
The Guardians will have their bullpen intact behind Plesac after their Friday starter, Cal Quantrill, tossed six innings of three-run ball.
“He battled like crazy,” Francona said of Quantrill. “He stayed out there for 104 pitches and he kept us in the game.”
On the flip side, the Nationals’ inability to produce sustained offense is a recurring theme.
“We got to do a better job of hitting with runners in scoring position,” Martinez said. “It’s just not happening. We could blow the game open early, get some runs across the board.”
–Field Level Media
