Wild thing! Guardians rookie reliever throws 4 of team's record-tying 5 wild pitches in Game 1 loss

NEW YORK (AP) — On their first big night in New York this October, the Cleveland Guardians took a walk on the wild side.

Rookie reliever Joey Cantillo threw four wild pitches, two that allowed pivotal runs to score in the third inning, and the Guardians lost 5-2 to the New York Yankees in their American League Championship Series opener Monday.

“Joey has done a good job for us coming out of the bullpen, and that inning just kind of got away from us, and that was it,” manager Stephen Vogt said.

“He looked a little sped up at first, but then it just looked like he was having a hard time finding the strike zone. We’ve seen Joey the last month, month and a half been great, so it was very uncharacteristic of him.”

Cleveland walked seven batters and threw five wild pitches in all — equaling a postseason record.

“I wasn’t very sharp. Obviously, fell behind on guys,” Cantillo said. “I didn’t execute pitches, and the control obviously was not there. Just got to be better next time. That performance was obviously the difference in the game. So, that’s on me.”

Cleveland trailed 1-0 when Cantillo replaced ailing starter Alex Cobb, who walked three batters to load the bases with two outs in the third.

The left-hander fell behind in the count 2-0 on Anthony Rizzo and then bounced a 92 mph fastball that got away from catcher Bo Naylor, allowing Aaron Judge to score from third.

Cantillo also bounced a 1-2 heater to No. 9 batter Alex Verdugo that went to the backstop, letting Giancarlo Stanton score easily.

Two wild pitches in a span of six deliveries, and suddenly it was 3-0.

“I kind of talked to him a little bit afterward. I feel responsible for him having to even be in that position in the first place," Cobb said. "He's got a really good future ahead of him. Going in to bases loaded, Yankee Stadium, in a playoff game is probably not ideal for anybody. ... So you know, I feel for him there. But he’s going to be fine. He’s going to be a big piece for us going forward.”

Cantillo struck out Verdugo to end the inning, but then walked Gleyber Torres leading off the fourth and uncorked a pair of wild pitches that sent him all the way to third base.

“A few of ’em were heaters. At this level, with heaters of that velocity, ultimately you just try to get a glove on it and see if you can get it,” Naylor said. “I think there was a changeup that got away from me. I think it just kind of stayed down, got through my legs.”

After a full-count walk to Juan Soto, Cantillo was lifted for Pedro Avila. Torres scored on Judge's sacrifice fly to make it 4-0, and the Guardians never recovered in their first ALCS game since 2016.

In just his second outing since Sept. 27, the 24-year-old Cantillo walked three of the four batters he faced and threw only seven of 21 pitches for strikes.

He was asked if nerves were a factor at all.

“No, not necessarily,” said Cantillo, who grew up in Hawaii. “I fell behind and didn't make my pitches, and then one thing led to another.”

Cantillo's four wild pitches set a franchise record for a reliever and tied the team mark for any pitcher in a postseason or regular-season game. The previous Cleveland pitcher to throw four wild pitches in a game was Jake Westbrook at the Chicago White Sox on April 5, 2010.

Andrew Walters threw another wild pitch in the eighth, though that one didn't end up costing the Guardians.

The only other team to throw five wild pitches in one postseason game was the St. Louis Cardinals — and they were all by rookie starter Rick Ankiel as he struggled with the yips early in a 2000 NL Division Series opener against Atlanta.

Ankiel later gave up pitching and became a lefty-hitting outfielder.

“Joey's not a guy I really worry about in terms of confidence or getting his mind back to a right spot,” Naylor said. "He wants those moments, whether he comes out on the good end or the bad end. He always looks for new ways to get better.

“You just kind of pick him up, let him know that this team is behind him at all times. Just let him take care of the rest. He's got a strong head on his shoulders, and a guy that I'm very happy to have on my side.”

When reporters entered Cleveland's quiet clubhouse after the game, Cantillo was sitting on a chair facing deep into locker. But he soon stood up tall and answered a string of questions confidently.

“He's very mature. He’s accountable. He’s a really hard worker," Cobb said. “Everything you look for in someone who’s going to have a really long career.”

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Mike Fitzpatrick, The Associated Press