Joey Cantillo Is Untouchable at Home and the Angels Have No Answer Monday Night

The Cleveland Guardians are bringing their best weapon to the mound on Monday, and it's a guy who has figured out how to dominate in front of the home crowd. Joey Cantillo is 1-0 with a 2.87 ERA in three home starts this season, and he's about to take the ball against the Los Angeles Angels as Cleveland's nine-game homestand continues. The 26-year-old left-hander is coming off a Wednesday victory at Kansas City where he threw five innings of one-run ball and scattered just three hits in a 3-1 win. When Cantillo gets the ball at Progressive Field, he knows how to shut people down.

Cantillo's Track Record Says Everything

The numbers don't lie. Cantillo is 2-1 overall with a 3.43 ERA on the season, but the split tells the real story. At home, he's practically unbeatable. He made his only career appearance against the Angels last season in relief, and he didn't allow a hit while striking out two in 2 1/3 innings. The Angels haven't even named their starting pitcher yet for Monday's opener of a three-game series, which tells you something about where their confidence level is heading into this matchup.

The Angels Are Limping Into This One

Los Angeles salvaged the back end of their series with Toronto on Sunday with a 6-1 win, thanks to Jo Adell's three-hit performance that included two solo home runs. One of those blasts traveled 449 feet. Adell is carrying the load for the Angels right now, leading the team with a .273 batting average and a team-best 44 hits. He's got six homers on the season and shares the team lead with 23 RBIs. "It's kind of been in like battle mode for a month of getting hits and being productive but not hitting for a bit more power," Adell said. "But I figured some things out in the cage."

The Angels are 3-3 in their last six games and sitting in the middle of a six-game road trip. Meanwhile, Cleveland opened its homestand by taking two of three from Minnesota and is still just .500 overall, but somehow holds a one-game lead in the AL Central. Jose Ramirez stole his 16th base of the season on Sunday (second in the majors), and the Guardians drew six walks in that loss to Minnesota, showing the patience that's starting to take shape.

Guardians bench coach Tony Arnerich filled in for manager Stephen Vogt on Sunday, who missed the game due to illness. "At the end of the day, we are trying to go 162 games and have a good season," Arnerich said. "All the little things we do, if we can continue to compile and do them well, when you add them up, hopefully they lead to good things."

First pitch Monday brings Cantillo and his home-field magic to the mound. That's a problem for an Angels team that can't seem to find their groove.

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