When the Guardians went to Dodger Stadium for a three-game series, it was crucial that they get a game, and that’s exactly what they did thanks to a strong performance from veteran left-hander and one-time late-season hero Matthew Boyd.

Boyd got off to a bit of a rocky start in the first inning, allowing a deep fly ball from Shohei Ohtani, a double from Mookie Betts and a single to Teoscar Hernandez. But he escaped the jam, allowing just two more hits (including a late home run from the demigod Ohtani) before exiting after six strong innings.

Tom Hamilton talked about how the Guardians were raving about Boyd before his debut and that he had some very strong performances in the minors, but the number of Guardians fans who expected him to be there on September 7th with a 2.99 xERA and a 3.36 FIP is probably pretty low. Looking at his starts before his Tommy John surgery, I was optimistic that they would have a starter of four or five, but right now he’s providing the team with excellent rotation performance. If Alex Cobb can get rid of his finger issues, I’ll have to adjust my rating for the Guardians from a C to an A at the trade deadline. And I’m more than happy to do that. Boyd seems to be a delight and he’s absolutely come through like the guys say.

A quick look at how Boyd does this shows an all-time high in changeup usage (25%) and nearly everything he throws sweeps the zone, with his fastball being 39% above average in vertical motion, his changeup 13% above average, his curveball 17% above average and his sinker 6% above average. Meanwhile, his drop slider is about 6% above average. Pitch mix is ​​key with 34% fastballs, 25% changeups, 21% sliders, 14% sinkers and then 6% curveballs to keep hitters engaged, all in all a much lower fastball usage rate than his previous years as a starter. Kudos to Boyd for his preparation and to the Guardians’ coaching and catching staff for helping him maximize his offering.

Of course, the Guardians’ offense was led by their big bats in the middle infield, with a two-run home run by Andres Gimenez and a solo hit by Brayan Rocchio. Since Aug. 1, Gimenez has a wRC+ of 97. If we can just get that kind of thing from you for a full season, Gime, we’d be fine. Since Aug. 1, Rocchio has a wRC+ of 115. I’m not sure how sustainable that is, but if he can be that kind of hitter, that’s a top-10 shortstop in the bigs. And this just when I was ready for a fresh start in Columbus. “Faith, balls, and patience,” Rocchio tweeted this January, and it turns out I needed more of all three to properly process his rookie season.

Alex Cobb is now scheduled to start the final two games in LA on Monday with Gavin Williams and Tanner Bibee after suffering a blister on the index finger of his throwing hand. The Guardians hope that getting him out of the 42-degree California heat will alleviate the problem.

AROUND THE MLB:

The Twins lost to the Royals and the Astros skipped the Diamondbacks as we continued to watch the division race and battle for the AL’s top two spots. The Guardians are five games ahead of the Royals, Twins and Astros in the loss column with 21 games remaining.