Cade

Smith

Smith entered a tied game in the ninth inning and struck out two in a perfect inning. With the game still tied and the automatic runner on second base in the 10th inning, he struck out the side in order, setting up the Guardians for the walk-off win in the bottom of the inning. Smith’s win was his fifth of the year. He has a 2.25 ERA.

Smith struck out two in a 6-6 game before Brayan Rocchio won it in the bottom of the ninth. It’ll be interesting to see if he’s available in the nightcap after throwing 18 pitches in game one. He’s never pitched in both games of a doubleheader before, but he’d pitched just once in nine days coming into this one.

Smith hit Cristian Moore to begin the inning, and a sacrifice bunt put runners on second and third with one out. Smith was able to whiff the next two, and it gives him 35 saves on the campaign and lowers his ERA on the season to 2.40.

Smith’s save was his 34th of the year. He came on in a 4-1 game and the Angels turned a hit batter, a single and a sacrifice fly into a run. Smith still slammed the door as the Guardians won, 4-2. His ERA is 2.44 on the season.

Smith was handed a two-run lead that was immediately halved when Connor Norby took him deep to begin the inning. He retired the next three and added a strikeout to get his 33rd save of the season. That was just the second run that Smith has allowed in August, and his ERA is still an excellent 2.33 on the year.

Smith made it interesting once again in this one, issuing a pair of two-out walks that brought the tying run to the dish in the form of Rafael Devers. Not to worry though, as the 27-year-old stopper got the Giants’ slugger on a fly ball to center field to put the game away. He has now converted 32 of his 37 save chances on the season while compiling a stellar 2.21 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and an 80/20 K/BB ratio across 57 innings of work.

Smith let this one get a little too crazy. He entered in a three-run game with two outs in the eighth inning and promptly threw a wild pitch to let one run score. Then, gave up a lead-off single in the ninth to send the tying run to the plate. Gleyber Torres singled after that to put the tying runs on base with Dillon Dingler and Kevin McGonigle due up. Smith turned up the heat in that moment, throwing six fastballs of at least 98 mph – a full tick above his season average – over his last seven pitches to get out of the jam. He has a 2.30 ERA and is second in the league with 31 saves in what’s been a standout season.

Smith’s velocity was way up again today; he averaged 99.7 mph with his fastball, which is 2.7 mph better than usual. He also averaged 100.0 mph in an appearance a week ago, though he was back down to 97.5 mph on Thursday. Before that, his season-high fastball velocity was 98.6 mph on July 8. Smith is the first pitcher to reach 30 saves this year. He has two more than Bryan Baker and three more than Mason Miller.

No save for Smith, who was summoned with one out in the eighth and allowed a game-tying single to Alan Roden to score one of two inherited runners from Hunter Gaddis. Smith settled in to keep the game tied, but the Guardians didn’t score in the bottom of the eighth or ninth. It only took 22 pitches, so Smith is probably in line to pitch tomorrow if needed.

Smith struck out one and didn’t allow a single baserunner en route to his 29th save of the season. That expands his league lead by four saves over Bryan Baker. It’s been quite a first season as a closer for Smith.