CLEVELAND, Ohio — Ben Lively turned in his best outing of the year to date. Carlos Santana was the only player with multiple hits and Nolan Jones won the game with a bases loaded walk in the ninth. There was no shortage of heroes Tuesday at Progressive Field as the Guardians took down the White Sox, 1-0. On Wednesday’s podcast, Paul Hoynes and Joe Noga look at which Cleveland player had the biggest impact in the home opening win and what to expect the rest of the series against Chicago. Listen and read along with an AI-generated transcript of the podcast below. Got a question you want answered on the podcast? Register for Guardians Subtext to hear your Cleveland Baseball questions answered exclusively on the show. Send a text to 216-208-4346 to subscribe for $3.99/mo. Want our podcast delivered directly to your phone? We have an Apple podcasts channel exclusively for this podcast. Subscribe to it here. You can also subscribe on Google Play and listen on Spotify. Search Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast or download the audio here. Read the automated transcript of today’s podcast below. Because it’s a computer-generated transcript, it may contain errors and misspellings. Joe Noga 0:05Welcome back to the Cleveland Baseball Talk podcast.I’m Joe noga. Joined by Paul Hoynes. Hoynes.The Guardians get it done on opening day.Nolan Jones with the walk off, walk with the bases loaded in the 9th inning, giving Cleveland the one nothing win in their 32nd home opener at Progressive Field.A frigid day at the ballpark, but the Guardians got hot when they needed to in the 9th inning with three consecutive walks after Carlos Santana’s lead off base hit to win the game.Just you know your impressions walking away from a home opener that left a lot of people shivering in their boots. Paul Hoynes 0:47Yeah, Joe, I’m. I’m just thawing out right now.That was cold down there and we we were sitting in the press box.We weren’t outside, so God loved those. What 33,000 fans for showing up and and most of them stayed for the duration too, Joe. Joe Noga 1:04Yeah, it was encouraging to see that the, the Nice atmosphere and lots of fans in the seats at the end of the game. But what a moment for Nolan Jones to to come through.You know he hit the ball hard a couple of times earlier in the game, but but didn’t have a lot of much of anything to show for it.Then he comes up there in the bottom of the ninth with the bases loaded, gets ahead in the count 3-1.Then hooks one that looked like it was going to be a Grand Slam.He lined it down the the right field line against.An unusual defensive alignment for Chicago. You know, as they faced him with the bases loaded and nobody out. Paul Hoynes 1:46Yeah, rookie manager Will Venable with two out and the bases loaded, brought in their left fielder Baldwin to play to give him a five man infield with three three infielders on the right side of the infield, it looked like a picket fence out there.Joe I’m I’m sure.Nolan Jones was wondering, where do you hit it?How do you get it through this this.You know, forest of infielders.But it turns out he didn’t have to. Joe Noga 2:17Yeah, it it could.It have been a better situation for anybody on their roster.Nolan Jones right up until the end of spring training, thought he was going to be playing this season in Colorado.Gets the call that he’s he’s been traded back to the Guardians, shows up in in in Cleveland after the opening road trip.To a, you know, a clubhouse that he’s never seen before because of all the the renovations and and just the new look and and feel of a ballpark. And he walks out there.And and, you know, comes through delivers and gives the guardians the the walk off win.On opening day, just had to feel good for Nolan Jones to to be able to to deliver in that way. Paul Hoynes 3:00Yeah, just think about it, Joe.You touched on it a little earlier.This is a kid that was drafted #2 by the Guardians in 2016.He was a high school kid out of Pennsylvania.He spent what, 5-6, seven years working his way up through the minor league system with Cleveland Dreaming about getting a chance to open the season in Cleveland.He gets traded away to the Rockies and then just on what March.22nd of this this year, like you said, he’s getting ready.He’s packing for, you know, to get send some stuff to Denver and then to go on a long road trip.I think they opened in Tampa Bay to open the season and he gets the call that he’s been traded.And then what?For an hour.So they they can’t tell him where he’s been being traded to.And it turns out he’s coming back home to Cleveland. Joe Noga 3:56Yeah, it’s a great a remarkable turn around and sort of irony all over the place for for Nolan Jones to be the guy to come through for this club, you know, in, in a moment when they needed needed just one run to to get the game.To get the win there on opening day and they they did that another guy with a big day for the Guardians yesterday. Carlos Santana, the 39 year old celebrating his birthday.On opening day, I didn’t know this Carlos Santana on his birthday.You know, this is a guy who notoriously has.A tough time getting going in the cold weather months of March, April early May here in Cleveland.Carlos Santana, 294 career batting average, three home runs, 11 Rbi’s in in, you know, 40 summit bats, 44 at bats on his birthday.So while he might not have a lot of consistency in the early months during his career, certainly on his birthday, he’s always always found a way to come through and and he also reached the 1800.Hit plateau with his two base hits yesterday, as hits were pretty hard to come by. Paul Hoynes 5:15Definitely Joe. I was waiting for him to hit a home run because I’ve seen him hit some home runs on his birthday, but under those conditions, I don’t think anybody was gonna drive the ball out of the park yesterday.But yeah, he loves to hit on his birthday.I think I think Jose Ramirez loves to hit on his birthday too.He he doesn’t always try to hit one for his mother on his birthday.So maybe Jose and Santana have something going on their birthdays. Joe Noga 5:37Yep.Well, it’s funny that you bring up Jose. We asked.We asked Jose pregame what he if he had planned to give Carlos Santana a gift or any sort of presence for his birthday yesterday at the ballpark, and Jose kind of.Kind of grinned and he smiled and he said to the interpreter.Agustin Rivera. He planned to give Carlos two smacks on the face.So you know he’s he was going to get his birthday swats one way or another.Was Carlos Santana?So he figured he might as well just go out there and get a couple of base hits.Just, you know, good feeling all the way around for Santana in in what is yet another homecoming in his third stint in a Cleveland uniform.So you know, I had to feel special for him. You and I both sort of remarked when he reached base in the 9th inning, you know, 39 years old.He reaches base.He’s the lead off single in the ninth.And he’s on 1st and you G we kind of looked at each other like, well, who are they going to pinch run for this guy?But then we realized, you know, he’s he’s been trying to work on his speed.He’s been trying to work on his his foot speed over the last couple of years, he told you. You know, he’s the fastest he’s ever been. Paul Hoynes 6:56That’s right, Joe, he said.‘Cause he’s taking such good care of his body the last couple years, he says he’s faster now than he was in then. He was five years ago.So I don’t.You know, maybe if they had an available pinch hitter, they would have put one in.But I think Daniel Schneeman was the only guy that could have pinched Rand and he came in for for lane Thomas after he got hit on the wrist. Joe Noga 7:22Yeah, Lane Thomas leaving the game with a contusion on his right wrist.They’ll be checking on him over the next couple of days, but you know he’d be a little sore, according to Steven Voge.But apparently xrays were negative, so that’s a positive coming out of that situation.Only other performance you know besides the bullpen, which you know sort of looked like the bullpen of of last year and coming out and you know Paul Seewald had a good five pitch outing getting through the the 7th.You know Kade Smith, the hunter Gaddis also pitching.And obviously, Emmanuel Clase a pitches the 9th and and he has a a good, you know, outing for Cleveland. But the the other guy you got to mention the starting pitcher Ben Lively on a a day where the conditions were tough, Ben Lively came out and you know.He he worked.He was.He was extraordinary and he gave up two hits, worked around a few walks, relied on his defense to get him out of some early situations.And then wound up turning in, you know, five strong innings for the Guardians. Paul Hoynes 8:26Yeah, his third start may have been his best start of the season. Joe, I think it was 5 scoreless and it started off, you know, a little shaky. He walks.Three of the first five batters he faces, but he gets a double play in the second inning. Then in the 4th inning, he gives up two hits to start the inning.Put runners at first and third. It looks like the White Sox are gonna score and he pops up.You know Andrew Vaughn.Then he gets Matt Ateas to hit into a 643 double play.And he was rolling after that. Joe Noga 9:04Yeah. Good signs for Ben Lively that, that he, you know, he it was, it was your your typical Ben Lively start when he’s going good is that he can be you know even though he’s walking a bunch of guys he can still get your 5 innings and he.Going to, you know, grind out innings in that way. Just looked pretty nice and down the other side of the coin, Shane Smith, the.The rookie pitcher for the.White Sox he was.Is the number one overall pick in the Rule 5 draft from Milwaukee.They acquired him in the offseason and he went out there.This looks like a guy who’s going to be a problem for a few years now.He’s coming off a, you know, his first start where he had a nice outing against Minnesota and then he goes out there and gives them six scoreless innings for the White Sox in in his first time pitching in Progressive Field. Paul Hoynes 10:02Yeah, he pitched really well.Joe, this is a guy non drafted free agent Milwaukee originally signed him, then they lose him in the Rule 5 draft.He under. He missed, I think 2022 with Tommy John surgery and this is a guy to, you know, Cleveland better watch out for because he he pitched so effectively against them this time out. I’m sure that they’re going to see him, you know, in the.In what?In the next what?They’ve got the next 10 games after this series. They’ve got 10 more games.Against the White Sox this season.So I’m sure they’ll roll him out there.Again, to face the guardians. Joe Noga 10:44Yeah, they could.They could see him two or three more times this year, depending on when they when they meet up with the White Sox. Over the course of the schedule.It’s it’s just funny, you know.Do you start to put him after just one outing?Can you start to put Shane Smith in that category of? You know, there’s young pitchers on every roster in this AL Central division that you sort of look at and go, oh boy, we’re gonna have to face this guy every time the guardians come through.You know, in their their four series against each team.Throughout the season, you can see these guys multiple times during the year.Any guys in the division you know other than Shane Smith, the young guys on each rotation, that sort of stand out to you in that way?I know, I know. One in Kansas City in particular is, you know, caught your eye. Paul Hoynes 11:30Yeah, the left-hander, Cole, Reagan’s has, really.You know, he’s kind of established himself in Kansas City.He signed an extension before the start of the season.The Guardians have faced him, you know two or three times had pretty good luck.But this is a this is a pitcher on the rise, Joe.Left-hander strikes guys out.You know he looks.He looks like he’s going to fit into that royal staff for quite a long time. Joe Noga 11:57Yeah, guy in in Minnesota, Simeon Wood, Woods, Richardson right-hander.Another guy who the Guardians had, you know, a degree of success the, you know, the first couple of times, maybe they faced him, but he’s he’s been effective against pretty much every other team in the league. And you know once he gets that confidence going and he he.Sort of grows and develops into a a a role. As you know the the the maybe the second, third, fourth option in that.Minnesota rotation.You’re looking at a guy who can be a problem as well. Paul Hoynes 12:31Yeah, no doubt about it, Joe. You know that Minnesota has a pretty strong starting rotation.When they, you know, have everybody in the rotation and healthy, definitely, you know, a picture to deal with and what?What about?What about Detroit, Joe?Do you like anybody there? Joe Noga 12:49I you know, they’ve got so many veteran arms in that that rotation and I guess you got to Count Tarek scuba as a veteran now to the the defending Cy Young Award winner.But you got to keep an eye on Casey Mize.This was a high draft pick and and a guy who, you know, the expectations have been high on.And yet another one, who in in in his past history.Facing Cleveland, you know, maybe doesn’t have the kind of success.That some some guardians pitchers would have against other AL Central teams to that level.But Casey Mize is a guy who, you know, if he lives up to expectations, he would be a guy who could be a threat to Cleveland when they face him multiple times in a season. Paul Hoynes 13:37Yeah, he’s. I think he was the number one overall pick when that when the Tigers took him. Joe Noga 13:40Yeah. Paul Hoynes 13:42He’s, you know, he’s been through the mill a little bit.Joey’s I think he was hurt.He’s dealt with injuries.He’s, you know, he’s kind of stubbed his toe in the big leagues, but he this this year, he had his first first couple starts have been good for the Tigers. So maybe he’s back on track and is going to pitch up to his draft status. Joe Noga 14:03Yeah, that’s always a dangerous thing when some of these high draft picks start figuring things out and and get rolling.Especially when it’s division opponents that you’re you’re facing multiple times in a year, you think about guys that could have long term success against the guardians within the division.I always you know something to keep an eye on.Don’t wanna you know.Miss or or you know, you know not.Take a moment to mention yesterday.They being opening day and all the the pomp and the circumstance and the ceremonies and the the recognitions, I think the Guardians did a pretty good job with sort of developing a theme and making sure everybody was recognized during opening day.You know the the the moments of silence for Rocky Colavito, for Larry Dolan, who passed away in in the offseason.The you know the first pitch thrown by Jack Sawyer from the.Defending now national champion Ohio State Buckeyes. Certainly you know nice there, but also to have Frank Robinson’s widow, Barbara and his daughter Nichelle in the, you know, in the in the ballpark. And I I thought it was really fitting that they accompanied Steven vote to the PL.Prior to the start of the game, delivering the lineup card, you know just the same way that 50 years earlier.Frank Robinson.Had done so as the first black manager player manager in baseball history.Just a nice moment. You could tell that there were some conversations there at the plate between, you know, vote and the umpires and the Robinsons.So just, you know, definitely a good job done by the Guardians in that regard. Paul Hoynes 15:55Yeah, definitely, Joe and Will Venable was out there. Joe Noga 15:59Mm hmm. Paul Hoynes 15:59You know, he is a young black manager and you know, it seemed fitting that the Robinson Robinson’s wife and daughter came out, talked to him and, you know, 50 years ago, Frank walked through the door and the door is still open.Not now.So you know it was.It was a touching moment and a moment that, you know, shouldn’t be lost on people. Joe Noga 16:23Yeah. And and that it happened in Cleveland is is significant because this this organization has a history of of breaking barriers and you know and and recognizing you know folks that that do things like that for Frank Robinson. You talk about Larry, Toby and you know I still.It’s still a frustrating thing that the league doesn’t let the the Guardians.Wear Larry Dobie’s number on the the day that he broke the the color barrier in the American League.Because Larry Dobby, you know, suffered alongside Jackie Robinson.You know, back in those early days and, you know, deserves as much recognition as as we would be able to give him.And you know, why not let him wear #14 for a day?But that’s a that’s a subject for an entire podcast. If we wanted to sit here and talk about that and the reasons for and against it.At some point down the road.So yeah, the other thing.Opening day gave us the the chance to to finally get in and check out the the Guardians new locker room.Hoynzy, when you walked into that space after going to that ballpark for what you know, nearly, nearly 30 years. Paul Hoynes 17:41You know. Joe Noga 17:42In its original sort of layout, when you walked into that new clubhouse, what what are we thinking and what you see and how’d it feel? Paul Hoynes 17:49Yeah, it was really cool, Joe.It was like being in a brand new home or your living room and the living room of a new home. It was.It was gorgeous and it was a little smaller. At least the area that reporters were allowed into a little smaller than I thought. But I like it because, you know, you can keep track of players and there’s Joe, this thing that they have expanded that clubhouse.You know, there’s a lot of things we haven’t seen in that clubhouse and there’s a lot of places for players to.I’m sure, but I was my initial reaction was was really. Joe Noga 18:21Mm hmm. Paul Hoynes 18:24I was impressed at the work that that had been done at the lockers at the space that each player had.They they seemed to be enjoying it very much. Joe Noga 18:35Well, I mean, you’ve been in clubhouses and locker rooms in pretty much every ballpark in, in the league. And how does this compare?How does this stack up to, you know, some of even some of the new, more modern ballparks that have been built in the recent years?What? How does how do these facilities compare to that? Paul Hoynes 18:53Yeah, it just had a different feel to it, Joe.I mean, most locker rooms are really to me are really functional.You don’t see behind the scenes.To me, it kind of reminded me of New Yankee Stadium where, you know, they they have a like, a staging area where players have their lockers, but then they can go go in the back in the, you know, through another door and go to the, you know, the. Joe Noga 19:09Mm hmm. Paul Hoynes 19:17Weight room. They can go to the trainer’s room. They can go to the kitchen.They can go to the lounge, you know.We just haven’t seen a lot of.We haven’t walked through those doors yet, but to me this was kind of the guest room or the vestibule.You know where? OK, the players come out here, say hello and then they disappear.So we’ll see.We’ll see how this unfolds. Joe Noga 19:38Yeah, the Guardians do plan on giving the media a tour of the new facility sometime a little later on.They they said they were promising sometime in early May, possibly and you know, kind of one of the things that they did was they flipped around the doorway.The entrance is on sort of the other side of the facility from where we used to enter for, you know.You’ve been coming to this ballpark since 1994, and it’s the first time you ever entered the clubhouse through the.Through the the the side closer to the the home plate area and then what they did was they basically blew out, you know, the walls and all the way down towards the batting tunnels. And they expanded everything.So there’s there’s just more space right now for other sort of amenities and like you said, there’s a a player lounge that we didn’t get a chance to see.There’s all sorts of new recovery facilities for the training staff and so you know, we’re going to get a chance to go through all that in the months and weeks to come. But but for now, the just the the locker room area that we were able to access.You know the the LED lights and the you know the the just the IT it had that new car smell.And it was just just really nice to to sort of see it and see some of the players stretched out in that area. And you can tell that they appreciate that and hopefully this is a a tool that somewhere down the line can be used to attract players. Paul Hoynes 20:54Yeah. Joe Noga 21:08To the club and, you know, bring in free agents and you know, if the word of mouth spreads.Hey, the facilities there in Cleveland are are pretty nice and they take care of you. And and what do we hear that the the manager and the the coach and the players all said you know if if you want to come to the ballpark every day.Because this is where.The facilities that you’re dealing with that’s got to be a good thing, a positive thing for the culture of the team and for, you know, the future of the team. Paul Hoynes 21:35Yeah, no doubt about it. You can use it as a recruiting tool. You can use it, you know, as a home away from home, which which really that’s that’s what a locker room is for players. Joe Noga 21:43No. Paul Hoynes 21:46You know, I don’t think, I don’t know.I remember, you know, reading stories about Joe Charbonneau when he was coming up, sleeping in the clubhouse and stuff like that.I don’t think anybody is going to do that, but I’m sure there’s room there, you know, for somebody to to crash on the couch or they might have.A.A whole, you know, a whole bedroom suite.In the back there, Joe, that thing is so big now. Joe Noga 22:08Well, as we walked in, there was a player pod.It was the the one little side room. It looked like a little closet with a table and A and a chair in there. I’m assuming it’s to do interviews or take phone calls or or or whatever it is. But you know, just new. Different, you know, uses for.Some of these areas, it was a lot of fun to to sort of get to see that and and pull back the curtain on the first day there.All right, hoynsie, that’s going to wrap up today’s edition of the Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast.We will be back on Friday.Thursday is an afternoon game.We’ll record again on Friday morning to wrap up the White Sox series and look ahead to the Royals coming back into town and and and facing them for the second time this year. We’ll talk to you on Friday. Paul Hoynes 22:56Good deal, Joe.