The Cleveland Guardians fell 9-6 to the Arizona Diamondbacks at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on Sunday in spring training play. Despite Angel Martínez's 1-for-2 with a home run and an RBI effort at the plate, the Guardians could not pull even when it mattered. Daniel Espino worked 1.0 innings on the mound, allowing 0 earned runs on 0 hits. The Diamondbacks out-hit the Guardians 15-10 on the day. The Guardians will look to regroup as spring training rolls on. There is still time to work through the rough patches before the regular season arrives, and the coaching staff will use today's performance as a learning opportunity.

Key Performers

Angel Martínez was the standout at the plate, going 1-for-2 with a home run and an RBI. The long ball provided a major boost to the offensive attack. It was the kind of day at the plate that suggests good things ahead for the Guardians offense.

Dom Nuñez added to the attack, going 1-for-3 with a home run and an RBI, Angel Genao provided support, going 2-for-2 with two doubles and an RBI, and Nolan Jones also contributed, going 1-for-3 with an RBI. Despite the individual efforts, the offense could not generate enough sustained production.

On the other side of the diamond, Ryan Waldschmidt led the Diamondbacks offense with a 3-for-3 with two doubles and two RBI day. Gabriel Moreno also contributed, going 1-for-4 with two RBI. Tim Tawa added a 1-for-3 with a double and two RBI effort as well. The Diamondbacks offense proved to be too much for the Guardians pitching staff to contain on this particular day.

On the Mound

Daniel Espino got the start, having a rough go of it, working 1.0 innings while allowing 0 earned runs on 0 hits. He threw 9 pitches in the outing. His outing provided the coaching staff with another data point as rotation and bullpen decisions loom.

The bullpen combined for 6.3 innings of work, allowing 9 earned runs while striking out six. The relief corps kept the game within reach after the starter departed. Managing the bullpen workload is a key priority during the spring, and every outing helps the coaching staff gauge who is ready for high-leverage situations. Spencer Giesting recorded the save to close out the game.

Among the relievers, Trevor Stephan stood out with 1.0 innings of scoreless work, striking out three. The outing gave the coaching staff confidence in his ability to contribute this season.

How It Happened

The Guardians struck first, plating a run in the first inning. The Guardians tacked on two runs in the second. Diamondbacks countered with two runs in the second. The Guardians struck back with three runs in the fifth. Diamondbacks answered with four runs in the fifth. Diamondbacks tacked on three runs in the sixth. The Diamondbacks were able to score in three separate innings, keeping the pressure on throughout the contest. Diamondbacks out-hit the Guardians 15-10, with both teams playing clean defense. A crowd of 11,068 was on hand to take in the action.

Looking Ahead

The Guardians will regroup and get back to work in their next outing. While the final score was not in their favor, the exhibition season is about building toward the regular season, and this game provided useful reps for a roster still taking shape. The coaching staff will review the performance and make adjustments before the next time out.