Karinchak (1-4) retired the only batter he faced to earn the win Sunday over the Angels.
The Angels tied the game at 1-1 in the eighth inning when Gio Urshela hit into a fielder's choice against Tanner Bibee. Karinchak then stepped in and got Mike Trout to fly out as a pinch hitter to end the inning before Cleveland pulled ahead for good on Josh Naylor's three-run home run in the bottom half of the frame. Karinchak has strung together five scoreless appearances spanning 3.1 innings. It's been a rocky start to 2023 for the right-handed reliever, who has a 4.82 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 25:12 K:BB with nine holds and a blown save over 18.2 innings.
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Guardians' James Karinchak: Handed fourth loss
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Karinchak (0-4) allowed a run on two hits and a walk with one strikeout in 1.1 innings, taking the loss and a blown save Tuesday versus the Yankees.
Karinchak relieved starter Tanner Bibee with one out in the sixth inning and promptly allowed an inherited runner to score on Anthony Rizzo's single. Willie Calhoun added a one-out solo home run in the seventh, putting the Yankees ahead and saddling Karinchak with his fourth loss in 16 appearances. The right-handed reliever has given up six runs over 7.1 innings in his last seven appearances, and he now has a poor 5.87 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 19:7 K:BB through 15.1 innings overall. To make matters worse, Karinchak's got a 6.89 FIP and .212 BABIP, which suggests that he's not a victim of bad luck here. He may be at risk of losing a high-leverage role once Sam Hentges (shoulder) is ready to return.
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Guardians' James Karinchak: Takes third loss
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Karinchak (0-3) allowed a run on one hit over one inning, taking the loss in Game 1 of Tuesday's doubleheader versus the Tigers.
Karinchak got the last out of the eighth inning and two more outs in the ninth before giving up a walkoff solo shot to Kerry Carpenter. Prior to Tuesday, Karinchak had a five-inning scoreless streak that made it seem like he'd gotten his earlier struggles out of the way. He has a 5.00 ERA and 1.11 WHIP through nine innings, though his 15:3 K:BB is an encouraging component of an otherwise lackluster line.
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Guardians' James Karinchak: Takes second loss
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Karinchak (0-2) allowed a run on a hit and a walk with one strikeout over two-thirds of an inning, taking the loss against the Athletics on Tuesday.
It's been a less-than-stellar start to the season for Karinchak, who has racked up two losses and two holds through four appearances. He walked the leadoff batter in the ninth inning Tuesday, then allowed a walkoff single to Tony Kemp after getting two outs. Karinchak has had some issues with walks, posting a 5:3 K:BB over three innings so far. The Guardians' bullpen has been a strength dating back to last season, so Karinchak could move down the hierarchy if he can't get his early struggles under control quickly.
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Guardians' James Karinchak: Charged with loss in opener
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Karinchak (0-1) allowed three runs on a hit, a walk and a hit batsman in one-third of an inning, taking the loss Thursday versus the Mariners.
Karinchak was rattled early by a pitch-clock violation, and he then plunked Kolten Wong before Ty France took him deep in the eighth inning. After an uneven spring that saw Karinchak post a 12:5 K:BB and a 4.66 ERA over 9.2 innings, it's a little concerning to see him struggle in a high-leverage situation. The right-hander had a 2.08 ERA over 39 innings last season, but he also carried a 4.8 BB/9, which is something he'll need to get in check to continue to have success as a setup man. With the Guardians locking up Trevor Stephan on a four-year deal Wednesday, Karinchak's place as a setup man is far from guaranteed.
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Guardians' James Karinchak: Clean outing Tuesday
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Karinchak struck out one over 1.1 scoreless innings in Tuesday's Cactus League loss to the Dodgers.
Karinchak has covered 7.1 innings this spring, though he's allowed five home runs, five hits and five walks with nine strikeouts. There shouldn't be too much concern for his performance this spring, as long as he can leave his uneven pitching in Arizona when the Guardians begin the campaign. Karinchak should serve in a high-leverage role as a setup man to Emmanuel Clase.
Guardians' James Karinchak: Roughed up in first spring game
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Karinchak allowed two runs on two hits and a walk with two strikeouts over one inning in Sunday's Cactus League loss to the Rangers.
Karinchak enters 2023 after a sharp second half of the 2022 season. After recovering from a shoulder injury, the right-hander logged a 2.08 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, three saves, eight holds and 62 strikeouts over 39 innings. He is poised to again serve as a setup man to closer Emmanuel Clase, though Karinchak will need to clean up his early spring struggles to avoid losing his grip on a high-leverage role.
Karinchak (2-0) struck out the side to earn the extra-inning win over the Rays on Wednesday.
Karinchak needed 15 pitches (10 strikes) to keep the game tied at 1-1 in the 10th inning, and Amed Rosario delivered a walkoff single in the bottom half of the frame. Over his last six innings, Karinchak has a 9:1 K:BB and has allowed only two hits without surrendering a run. The righty owns a 1.45 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 59:19 K:BB with three saves, eight holds and a blown save through 37.1 innings this year.
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Guardians' James Karinchak: Tallies third save
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Karinchak allowed one hit and struck out one across a scoreless ninth inning to earn the save Wednesday against the Angels.
Karinchak was called upon to protect a two-run lead and did so successfully to earn his third save of the season. He won't see save opportunities regularly going forward, but Emmanuel Clase had worked two consecutive days and was likely unavailable. Karinchak owns an impressive 1.47 ERA and 49:18 K:BB across 30.2 innings for the season.
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Guardians' James Karinchak: Earns second save
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Karinchak picked up the save in Sunday's 4-1 win over the Twins. He struck out three in one scoreless inning with two walks and no hits allowed.
With Emmanuel Clase unavailable after recording the save in each of the previous two games, Karinchak stepped in and shut the door for his second save. The 26-year-old allowed two runners to reach base via the walk, but he struck out the other three batters he faced, giving him 47 punchouts in just 28.2 innings. Karinchak owns a strong 1.57 ERA to go along with a 1.15 WHIP on the season.
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Guardians' James Karinchak: Posts first save
Rotowire
Karinchak struck out two in a perfect inning to earn the save in Tuesday's 4-1 win over the Royals.
Regular closer Emmanuel Clase had pitched three straight days, so he was presumably unavailable Tuesday. Karinchak stepped up and needed just 12 pitches (eight strikes) to deliver his first save of the season. He had a rough return to the majors with three runs allowed in his first two appearances, but Karinchak has since rattled off a 24-inning scoreless streak with a save, four holds and a win in his last 22 outings. For the year, he has a 1.04 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 43:13 K:BB through 26 innings while reclaiming a setup role in a strong Guardians bullpen.
