In the Guardians’ 7-6 extra-innings loss to the D-backs on Monday, we saw that a pitcher can experience both their best and worst moments in the same game. How, you ask? Logan Allen showed us how.
To provide some context, Allen entered the series opener with the fifth-worst ERA among the 115 Major League starters who had pitched at least 80 innings this season. This was a major reason the Guardians sent him to Triple-A Columbus just before the All-Star break.
However, Cleveland needed a starter on Monday, giving Allen a chance to prove himself.
Initially, it seemed like things were going downhill.
Ketel Marte smashed the first pitch of the game over the 19-foot wall at Progressive Field, giving Arizona an immediate lead. Just four pitches later, Allen gave up a second home run as Gabriel Moreno followed Marte’s lead, sending the ball over the same left-field fence.
It seemed like things couldn’t get any worse for Allen, but they did.
After a single and a double play gave him two outs in the inning, Allen faced a frightening moment against Randal Grichuk. A 105 mph line drive came straight back up the middle, aimed directly at Allen’s head. He attempted to duck and protect himself with his throwing hand, but the ball grazed his pinky and struck the left side of his head. The ball deflected off him and landed in center field, while Allen fell to the ground.
“Yeah, I’ve been hit a few times, obviously this is one of the scariest,” Allen remarked. “Kind of sat there on a knee for a second, just trying to gather myself and I was like, ‘I think I’m OK.'”
The Guardians’ medical team quickly responded, performing all necessary concussion protocols. Despite the scare, Allen insisted he was fine and passed all initial tests. As a result, he remained in the game.
“It’s kind of crazy,” commented catcher Bo Naylor. “I feel like when that happened, that was the last thing on his mind. He just wanted to get back out there, make good pitches, and compete.”
Initially, it might have seemed questionable, especially after Allen followed the scary moment by issuing consecutive walks to load the bases. However, he managed to induce a flyout to escape the inning without further damage. That’s when things started to turn around.
Sitting in the dugout, Allen watched his team rally back and tie the score at 2. This resurgence gave him the confidence to refocus.
“One inning doesn’t define an outing,” Allen reflected. “You always have a chance to bounce back, and the team will keep battling. It’s up to me to do my part and keep us in the game.”
Right then, the switch flipped.
Aside from an infield single in the second inning (which also hit Allen, this time on the foot), he dominated the D-backs’ lineup. Starting with the final out of the second inning, he recorded 10 consecutive outs.
“I think he just commanded the zone,” Naylor said. “He had conviction with everything he threw. He was aggressive in the zone, expanded when he needed to, and played that push-pull game really well.”
The biggest takeaway from Allen’s outing was that he didn’t issue another walk after the two in the first inning. This has been his biggest problem this season. Not only has he given up free runners, but it’s also led to higher pitch counts, shorter outings, and more work for the bullpen. This domino effect has plagued the team all season.
The Guardians are well aware that the issue needs to be resolved. Allen himself acknowledges this, which is why he spent a month in Triple-A focusing on improving his efficiency. He demonstrated progress in this regard after the challenging first inning. Despite the offense’s efforts to rally behind his resilience, tying the game in the ninth to force extra innings, Cleveland ultimately fell short.
But for Allen, the bigger win was feeling OK after the game and being back in the Majors.
“Shoot, I guess when I’m in Triple-A, I’d rather be up here even if it means taking balls off the head and giving up homers,” Allen said with a smirk. “But just giving the team chances to win is all I’m trying to do, so I was happy to do that.”
