Joey Cantillo has been at his best when pitching at Progressive Field this season, and the Cleveland Guardians are counting on the left-hander to continue that trend as they open a three-game series against the Los Angeles Angels on Monday.
Cleveland’s homestand continues with Cantillo (2-1, 3.43 ERA) taking the mound. In three home starts during the 2026 campaign, he is 1-0 with a 2.87 ERA. The 26-year-old earned a win in his last outing, tossing five innings of one-run ball while allowing three hits in a 3-1 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday.
Cantillo has faced the Angels only once in his career, appearing in relief last season. He threw 2 1/3 scoreless innings, surrendering no hits and striking out two.
While Cleveland turns to Cantillo, the Angels have not yet announced a starter for the series opener as they continue a six-game road trip.
Los Angeles closed out a three-game set against the Toronto Blue Jays with a 6-1 win on Sunday. Jo Adell powered the offense with three hits, including two solo home runs. His second blast traveled 449 feet, giving him six homers on the year. Adell leads the Angels with a .273 batting average and 44 hits, while his 23 RBIs are tied with Mike Trout for second-most on the team.
“It’s kind of been like battle mode for a month of getting hits and being productive but not hitting for a bit more power,” Adell said. “But I figured some things out in the cage. Just kind of getting that feel back to where I was last year.”
Cleveland opened its homestand by taking two of three from the Minnesota Twins. The Guardians fell short in a 5-4 loss on Sunday despite collecting 11 hits. Jose Ramirez stole his 16th base of the season, second-most in the majors, and Steven Kwan executed a perfectly placed sacrifice bunt that led to a run in the seventh inning. Cleveland also showed patience at the plate, drawing six walks.
Bench coach Tony Arnerich, filling in for manager Stephen Vogt (who missed Sunday’s game due to illness), emphasized the positives to build on. Despite being at .500, the Guardians hold a one-game lead in the American League Central.
“At the end of the day, we are trying to go 162 games and have a good season,” Arnerich said. “All the little things we do, if we can continue to compile and do them well, when you add them up, hopefully they lead to good things.”
Catcher Patrick Bailey, acquired from the San Francisco Giants in a Saturday trade, went 0-for-3 with a strikeout in his Guardians debut. Bailey entered with a .141 batting average, one home run, and five RBIs. Arnerich said the clubhouse has helped the backstop get up to speed on game planning.
“He knows what he’s doing behind the plate,” Arnerich said. “It’s about making him feel comfortable so that he can go out and be himself and play.”
The Guardians and Angels each have a 3-3 record over their last six games.
