Travis Bazzana Is Already Running Wild and the Angels Have No Answer for It

The Cleveland Guardians are doing something dangerous right now: they're putting runners everywhere. And when you've got a 23-year-old Australian kid tied for second on the team with seven stolen bases in just 12 games, that's a problem for any pitcher facing you.

Travis Bazzana and company just steamrolled the Los Angeles Angels 7-2 on Monday night, and the rookie second baseman was the spark. He ripped a two-run double in the third inning to blow the game wide open, then drew two walks for good measure. The Guardians generated seven hits and 10 walks in that opener, flooding the basepaths exactly like they want to.

The Kid From Down Under Is Getting Dangerous

"I felt comfortable in the box from the get-go," Bazzana said after the win, "but I am really starting to get it going."

That's not hype talking. The guy is tied for second on the roster with seven stolen bases, and he's accomplished that in only 12 games. He knows when to take off and when to hold up. "I wanted to be very efficient on the bases," he explained, "and I have started to understand when it's a good time to run and when it's not." Bazzana acknowledged he's had "lots of opportunities to run lately," which tells you everything about what Cleveland is doing offensively right now.

The problem? Even with all that traffic on the basepaths, the Guardians only converted 3 of 13 at-bats with runners in scoring position on Monday and left 10 runners stranded. That's the kind of detail that keeps bench coach Tony Arnerich (filling in for manager Stephen Vogt, who's out with a viral infection for a second straight game) up at night.

"The guys want to get it done, obviously, they're trying," Arnerich said. "It's about having conversations about where their headspace was at and what their approach was in an at-bat."

Urena Gets His Chance, Cecconi Trying to Turn It Around

Tuesday brings a matchup between Walbert Urena (1-3, 3.22 ERA) for the Angels and Slade Cecconi (2-4, 6.15) for the Guardians. Urena just earned his first career win in his most recent start, tossing six solid innings against the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday with two hits, one run, three walks, and five strikeouts in an 8-2 Angels victory. This will be his first career start against Cleveland.

Urena's path to a starting role is fresh. He made the big-league club out of spring training as a reliever, then bounced to the minors briefly before landing a starting gig. "Being a reliever was new for me at that point," he said. "Being a starter is really better for me because that's what I've done all my career. And now I'm getting my chance to do it."

Cecconi beat Kansas City 8-5 in his latest outing, giving up two runs on six hits with three walks and three strikeouts across 5 and a third innings on Thursday. But here's the problem: he's been brutalized by the Angels in two career starts against them. He's 0-1 with a 14.73 ERA in those matchups. Los Angeles crushed him for seven runs on 10 hits in three-plus innings back in 2024, then added five runs on seven hits in 4 and a third innings in 2025.

Angels manager Kurt Suzuki made his feelings clear about the walk situation. "It's going to be hard to win a game when you allow that many walks," he said, a direct reference to Monday's 10-walk disaster.

The Numbers Tell a Story

Cleveland has won just four of their last nine games heading into Tuesday. Los Angeles, meanwhile, has dropped 16 of its past 21, so the Angels desperately need to tighten up and get back in it. One thing's for sure: if the Guardians keep generating baserunners at this rate and

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.