First Impressions From Matthew Boyd’s Cleveland Guardians Debut

Boyd threw 5.1 innings, gave up three hits, allowed one earned run, struck out six batters, and issued no walks. Cubs hitters had no answers for Boyd, as he even sent down the final nine batters he faced. 

The biggest part of this start that stuck was just how sharp Boyd was with his command. The lefty threw 80 pitches, with 76 percent of those being strikes, and Boyd was ahead in what felt like every one of his counts. 

Throwing strikes is one thing; getting outs is another. Boyd clearly had no problem doing the ladder, as can be seen in his six strikeouts. He also tallied 12 whiffs in his first outing, which is just another example of how in control he was with his pitches.

Cleveland has been begging for their starters to demonstrate more consistency this season, and it’s one of the reasons Triston McKenzie and Logan Allen are currently at Triple-A. Boyd still has to show he can do this on a start-to-start basis, but this start is certainly an encouraging sign for Cleveland's rotation for the rest of the season.