NEW YORK — What is the question Guardians first baseman Carlos Santana hears every day from the people he meets?
It has nothing to do with his 13-game hitting streak, the longest active streak in the big leagues.
Ditto for the 300-plus home runs he’s hit in his career.
Nor does it deal with how he’s managed to still be an everyday player at the age of 39.
The question Santana hears the most deals with the cut-off baseball pants he wears. They’re not short-shorts, but they aren’t your father’s cargo shorts either.
“People ask me about them every day,” said Santana.
Santana said he started wearing his pants like that during the 2016 World Series with the then Cleveland Indians. Over the last few years, he’s gone to the short pants pulled over a pair of full-length tights on an every day basis.
“I like them, they’re comfortable,” said Santana.
Asked if he’s ever heard from MLB’s uniform police, Santana looked surprised and said, “Why?”
Santana said the look is starting to catch on, especially in the minor leagues. Asked if he patented his idea of what a pair of baseball pants should look like, Santana laughed and said, “I’ll have to talk to my agent about that.”
No more demons
Emmanuel Clase threw a scoreless ninth inning against the Yankees in Wednesday’s 4-0 win. He gave up a couple of hits, but struck out the side, punching out Aaron Judge, Paul Goldschmidt and Jazz Chisholm Jr.
Was that enough to exorcise Clase’s demons from last year’s ALCS? The Yankees scored four runs on seven hits, including two home runs, in 2 1/3 innings against Clase.
Clase, as a reminder, allowed just five earned runs in 74 regular season appearances in 2024.
“You always want to bounce back,” said manager Stephen Vogt. “That was the first time he’s faced them (since the ALCS).
“It’s an important inning in that he ended the game … It was definitely a big inning for him and he did exactly what we expected.”
Clase posted a 6.75 ERA in March and April as he struggled with his control and a sore right shoulder. Some felt it was a hangover from his postseason performance.
In May, however, he posted a 0.84 ERA, converting seven straight saves. Overall he’s 4-0 with a 3.81 ERA and 13 saves in 15 chances.
Dr. Zero
The Guardians lead the AL in shutouts with eight, including Wednesday’s 4-0 victory. Bo Naylor has caught seven of them.
“Bo is continuing to develop as a great pitch-caller,” said Vogt, a former catcher. “He understands who these pitchers are. The thing about a good catcher is it’s about the group. It’s about the other catchers. It’s about Sandy Alomar (catching coach). It about diving in with Albie (bench coach Craig Albernaz) and pitching coach Carl Willis. It’s a team.”
Fire down below
Jonathan Rodriguez drove in two runs Wednesday as Triple-A Columbus beat Toledo, 5-2. Tanner Burns (3-0, 5.67) pitched 2 2/3 scoreless innings for the win. Shortstop Brayan Rocchio, hitting .275, went 1 for 4 … Carter Spivey allowed one run over six innings, but Double-A Akron lost to the BaySox, 4-2. Spivey struck out five and walked one. Alex Mooney and Guy Lipscomb drove in Akron’s runs … Jonah Advincula went 3 for 4 with a homer and three RBI as Class A Lake County beat West Michigan, 4-1. Dylan DeLucia (2-3, 4.08) didn’t allow a run in five innings for the win. He struck out eight, walked three and allowed one hit … Jeffrey Mercedes scored Welbyn Francisca on a ground out in the sixth inning as Class A Lynchburg beat Salem, 2-1. Xavier Martinez (3-0, 1.45) earned the win in relief.
