Quantrill emerging as next starting pitcher

In a injury-ridden season for the Cleveland Indians, younger guys have had to step up and Cal Quantrill has been one of the bright spots to emerge in the starting rotation.

Takeaways from the game between the Indians and Tigers on Aug. 6 at Progressive Field:

You might need Sherlock Holmes and his magnifying glass to find something positive about the Indians these days, but Cal Quantrill gives reason to expect the fourth starter after Shane Bieber, Aaron Civale and Zach Plesac will be one to reckon with in 2022.

Quantrill started against the Tigers Aug. 8. He was 2-1 in 12 starts prior to facing Detroit

— an indication he has been in some tight games to have 75 percent of his starts end in no decisions.

Quantrill has been a victim of meager run support, though that was not the case Aug. 8. He pitched six innings without allowing an earned run against the White Sox on Aug. 1 and got a no decision in the 2-1 loss. He allowed one earned run in each start prior to facing the White Sox, getting the win in a 3-2 victory in Oakland on July 17 and no-decisions in losses to Tampa Bay (5-4) and St. Louis (42) in his next two starts.

Quantrill pitched seven scoreless innings against the Tigers. He struck out 10 Tigers without allowing a walk.

Triston McKenzie, 1-5, is another grinder.

McKenzie lasted just 2/3 of the first inning on June 12. He walked four Mariners and allowed one earned run before getting the hook. The wildness resulting in walks was a recurring problem. He walked 39 batters in 42 innings in his first 11 appearances.

McKenzie was sent to Columbus to work on his control and didn’t pitch for the Indians again until July 9. In his last five starts he allowed, one, one, one, three and, most recently, zero walks while going seven innings against the Blue Jays in Toronto on Aug. 5. The Indians were shut out, 3-0.

That’s the good news. The bad news is he was charged with five earned runs against the Astros on July 20 and six earned runs against the White Sox on July 31. But he learns from his mistakes.

The game against the Blue Jays was his best since July 9 when he pitched seven shutout innings against the Royals when he walked one and struck out nine Kansas City batters.

“I feel it’s a lot of the little stuff that didn’t go well at the beginning,” McKenzie said. “Take my lumps, take my bruises and figure out what works well for me. I had struggles early on. It’s more me finding my place and be one among my peers.”

McKenzie turned 24 on Aug. 2.

* The Indians and Tigers are two teams heading in opposite directions. The team the Indians used to pound with regularity is no longer a patsy.

Entering their game against Detroit on Aug. 8, the first of a three-game series at Progressive Field, the Indians, 52-54, were second in the A.L. Central, just 1 ½ game ahead of the 53-58 Tigers.

The Indians are 15 games below .500 at 21-36 against teams with winning records. The Tigers are 22-26 against teams above sea level. The Tigers will be tested in the coming weeks with six games against Toronto, three against Oakland, six against Tampa Bay, two against Milwaukee and six against the White Sox lurking.

* It has been a difficult season for Indians catcher Roberto Perez. He missed two months from May 3 July 4 with a broken right ring finger and on Aug. 8 was placed on the 10day injured list with right shoulder inflammation.

The contract of catcher Wilson Ramos was purchased from Columbus to replace Perez on the Indians roster. Ramos, 33, started the season with the Tigers. He was .200 with six home runs and 13 RBI before being released on June 15.

Perez is an excellent defensive catcher, but he has played in only 34 of 107 games for the Indians this season. He is hitting .136 with six home runs and 15 RBI.

Austin Hedges began the season as Perez’s backup, but Hedges has caught 55 games.