Chase DeLauter Was 0-for-3 When It Mattered Most. Then He Did This.
The kid looked lost. Chase DeLauter came into Tuesday night's game against Houston riding a brutal 7-for-47 skid, his early-season magic completely evaporated. Bases loaded. One out. Guardians down 4-3 in the eighth inning. Zero hits on the night. This was the moment where rookies either figure it out or disappear into the box score.
DeLauter lined a fastball from Bryan King down the left-field line on a 2-2 count. Brice Matthews dove for it and came up empty. The ball rattled into the left-field corner, and suddenly three runs were crossing the plate. DeLauter slid into third with his first career triple, and Cleveland walked off with an 8-5 win.
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This kid's rookie month has been absolutely wild. DeLauter started the season absolutely on fire, hitting five home runs in his first seven regular-season games. Then something shifted. After a two-run shot against the Cubs during Cleveland's home opener on April 3, opposing pitchers figured him out. By Tuesday, he was hitting .211 with a 7-for-47 slump hanging over his head.
Manager Stephen Vogt never blinked. He kept DeLauter in the lineup, kept him hitting second between AL All-Stars Steven Kwan and José Ramírez. That kind of faith from a third-year manager sends a message: we believe in you.
One Hit Changes Everything
"At the end of the day, trying to be myself," DeLauter said after the game. "Big situation, one out, trying to get a ball forward. I was looking for a heater. I got a couple there that I fouled off, but just trying to battle and get something out there. I got the pitch to hit."
Vogt summed it up perfectly: "It's no secret he hasn't gotten results, but this kid's a good hitter. Good hitters use the whole field, and cool moment for him. Obviously, a huge hit for us. We needed a comeback win like that tonight."
The Guardians came into the eighth inning 0-10 when trailing after seven innings. The triple flipped everything. Cleveland scored six runs in the frame, improved to 4-2 on the homestand, and DeLauter proved he belongs in these moments. First-month jitters are over. He's arrived.
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