Braves drub Slade Cecconi and Guardians to clinch series at Progressive Field

CLEVELAND — One would never know this team is embroiled in a pennant race. The Guardians have so much to play for but have lost two in a row to an Atlanta Braves team that came into the series 15 games under .500. Despite the importance of the series, historians should have known the Braves weren't going to go down easily. They have never lost a series in Cleveland and are 8-3 lifetime after their 10-1 spanking of the Guardians before 34,059 Saturday. Right-hander Slade Cecconi (5-6, 4.50) turned in perhaps his worst outing of the season. The Braves hit line shots all over the yard and abused him for a season-high 10 hits and eight runs and he matched his season high by allowing six earned runs. "I'm not getting ahead of the hitters," Cecconi said. "They'll find a way to make you pay. In my last two outings, I've not had a feel for anything. I'm fully confident I will make it out on the other side." He's had three no-decisions and two losses in his last five starts and hasn't tasted victory since July 18 vs. the Athletics. Part of the problem could be his 194 innings are by far the most he's pitched in the majors. "We're doing everything we can to manage that," Cecconi said. "I'm taking every blow and punch in the face in stride." The Braves jumped on Cecconi for three runs in the second. Nacho Alvarez had a run-scoring single and Nick Allen followed with a two-run double for an early 3-0 lead. That was more than enough. The Guardians scored their only run of the series thus far in the third inning when second baseman Brayan Rocchio led off with a 378-foot blast off winning pitcher Joey Wentz (4-3, 4.72) into the left-field bleachers. His second home run of the season narrowed Cleveland's deficit to 3-1. The elation was short-lived, however. With Alvarez on first with one out, Cleveland first baseman Carlos Santana bobbled a grounder by Allen and then threw wildly to second for an error. The relay throw to first was late. So, instead of a possible double play to get out of the inning, the Braves had two runners on base. Jurickson Profar walked to load the bases and Alvarez scored on a wild pitch. Matt Olson flied deep to left for a sacrifice fly and Atlanta's fifth run. Guardians left fielder Stephen Kwan nailed Profar trying to advance to third base after the fly ball for his major-league leading 12th outfield assist of the season. The Braves put Cecconi out of his misery in the fifth when Michael Harris destroyed a change-up and hit it an estimated 452 feet into the right-field seats. The three-run blast extended Atlanta's lead to 8-1. It was Harris' 14th home run of the season. He later added a double in the sixth, which marked his eighth consecutive game with two or more hits, longest in the majors. Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said Cecconi's velocity was good, but "his spin pitches were not sharp." The manager said Cecconi needs to establish his slider and curveball to take the hitters off his fastball. Vogt said he still loves Cleveland's starting rotation, despite Cecconi's troubles as of late. He said Wentz's cut fastball kept the Guardians' hitters on their heels the whole night. Atlanta's Hunter Stratton earned his first save with three shutout innings. Santana's walk in the fourth inning gave him 1,330 in his career, which is tied for fifth place with Tim Raines on the all-time list for switch hitters. Santana snapped a 0-for-11 skid with a single in the ninth. The Guardians have lost the first two games of the series and have been outscored 12-1 and outhit 22-8. "They have a really good offense," Vogt said. "It's tough when they are heating up and (we've struggled). It makes for a bad recipe. "It's baseball. We've lost two in a row. It's nothing more than that." The Guardians have fallen 81/2 games behind first-place Detroit in the Central Division and 2½ games behind New York for the last wild card spot. There was a tense moment in the second when Braves designated hitter Marcell Ozuna got plunked in the head by Cecconi. Ozuna got to his feet and ran to first. "I'm glad he was wearing a helmet," the pitcher said. "I'm glad he's well. I gave my condolences to him. It was a bad moment." Bob Finnan can be reached at rfinnan30@gmail.com.