Stephen Vogt’s Reaction to the Cleveland Guardians Getting Shutout by the Mariners

Well, the start of a new season isn't always going to be pretty.

But it's hard to believe that manager Stephen Vogt expected the Cleveland Guardians to get shutout just a night removed from an extra-innings comeback victory.

On Sunday, March 29, the Guardians took on the Seattle Mariners for game four of the opening series of 2026, with the Mariners' bats flowing from start to finish. They were able to record nine hits and draw five walks, en route to scoring eight runs, all while the Guardians scored zero runs and only got on base three times.

Following the disappointing showing for Cleveland's lineup, Vogt spoke to the media with frustration, but understanding that the Mariners' pitchers, specifically starter Emerson Hancock, were also just having a great night on the mound.

“We were just underneath the ball all day," Vogt said. "It felt like, you know, he's [Hancock's] got a little bit of an upshot. It's got some, maybe a weird, funky arm angle, but we just couldn't get on top of his fastball. He was coming right after us.

"We got some fastballs to hit. We just weren't able to square him up. It was one of those days.”

Hancock finished the night with six innings pitched, no hits allowed and just one walk issued, all while striking out a strong mark of nine batters. The only walk he gave up was to José Ramírez, who did so in a seven-pitch at-bat in the top of the first inning.

From there on out, Hancock controlled the game and kept the Guardians at bay.

Outside of Hancock, the Mariners' one reliever they used, Cooper Criswell, looked sharp on the mound as well. He pitched through three innings, allowing two hits and striking out five batters.

The only two Guardians to record a hit were first-year outfielder Chase DeLauter and utility Daniel Schneemann.

While it wasn't the way the Guardians had wished the series would come to a close, they were still able to win two games. They've showcased really good depth out of the bullpen, and DeLauter's breakout has been huge for the offense. He has four home runs in four games, marking one of the best starts to a professional career of all-time.

Reflecting on the series as a whole, Vogt took the time to compliment the team's play, but also said they know they have to get into a groove.

“Obviously, we would love to have won the series, but, you know, we walk away with a split to start the year," he said. "We feel pretty good. We're playing good baseball. You know, we had a couple of missed plays today, but outside of that, you know, I feel like we're playing really good baseball these first four games. We just got to keep it rolling."

#Guardians manager Stephen Vogt on the end of their series in Seattle:

“Obviously we would love to have won the series, but, you know, we walk away from with a split to start the year. We feel pretty good. We're playing good baseball. You know, we had a couple missed plays…
— Mason Horodyski (@MasonHorodyski) March 30, 2026

Moving forward, the schedule doesn't get any easier for the Guardians as they'll next be up against the Los Angeles Dodgers, who have won the last two World Series titles. Playing host to Cleveland, they remain undefeated at a mark of 3-0.

"You know, we get to go to LA and see where we're at… while you want to win 3 out of 4 here for sure, walking away with a split," he said. "I'm really proud of the way our guys have come out of the shoot.”

The Dodgers will present a tough challenge for the Guardians’ young, somewhat inexperienced roster. However, series like these will give the team an early look at the level of success they can expect in 2026, and, more importantly, highlight the areas where significant improvement is needed.