The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Williams leads Captains to victory
What’s the best way to stop a home-run barrage? Simple: Wait 24 hours for the next game and then hand the ball to the ace of the pitching staff.
One night after the West Michigan White Caps hammered the Captains, 16-8, by banging out six home runs, Gavin Williams took the mound on June 3 with a set of handcuffs in his back pocket.
THE SCORE CAPTAINS 2, WHITECAPS 1
Williams, the Guardians first-round pick in the 2021 draft, was brilliant, holding the White Caps to one run in 6 1/3 innings. He gave up five hits, walked one and struck out eight batters to lead the 2-1 victory on a fireworks night at Classic Park. Williams has now made nine starts and has a nifty 1.40 ERA spanning 45 innings.
“Gavin is super-competitive,” Captains manager Greg Dicenzo said after the game. “He was able to spot up his fastball tonight, bring it in and out of the zone when he needed to, elevate it when he needed to and lean on his secondary stuff. It was a really clean performance by him.”
West Michigan starter Ty Madden, a first-round pick by the Tigers in the same draft (Williams was picked 23rd and Madden 32nd as a Competitive Balance Round A selection) was mesmerizing, too. He allowed three hits, walked none and struck out seven Captains over six innings. The only run he allowed was a solo home run by Jhonkensey Noel in the bottom of the second inning. The blast over the wall in center field was Noel’s 12th home run of the season.
Both right-handers showed why they were firstround selections. The score was 1-1 when their night ended, so Williams will carry a 2-1 record into his next start. He has 67 strikeouts and has yet to allow a home run.
The Captains broke the 1-1 deadlock in the bottom of the seventh inning. Alexfri Planez got things going with an infield single to the left side. Christian Cairo walked. Planez advanced to third when Raynel Delgado grounded into a fielder’s choice. Delgado hustled down the first-base line to avoid a
double play. Planez scored on a sacrifice fly to center field by Michael Amditis.
Williams set the example for the Captains relief pitchers. Alaska Abney relieved Williams in the seventh and finished off the inning without allowing a run. He left two West Michigan runners stranded.
With his team clinging to a 2-1 lead, left-handed reliever Raymond Burgos struck out Corey Joyce swinging in the bottom of the eighth with White Caps on the corners. Burgos pumped his fist exuberantly as he left the mound.
“Everyone came in and executed big pitches in big spots with men on base,” Dicenzo said. “We obviously didn’t come out on the right end last night, but guys were still competing. That’s what we’re looking for.”
Randy Labaut finished off the White Caps with a scoreless ninth to earn his second save. The Captains pitchers were helped by four double plays behind them.
The Captains and White Caps play again at 7 p.m. June 4 and then wrap up the six-game series at 1 p.m. June 5. Both games are at Classic Park.