Member, Professional Basketball Writers Association
CLEVELAND — For an entire season, Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase provided something that even the best relievers rarely can claim: near certainty.
But after two straight nights of struggles in the highest stakes games of the year, that certainty has been shaken.
On Friday, Clase gave up a pair of go-ahead runs to the Yankees in the ninth inning, absorbing the loss in New York’s 8-6 win in Game 4, a defeat that pushed the Guardians to the brink of elimination in the American League Championship Series.
This came on the heels of a stunning Game 3, won by Cleveland in a wild finish that was set up by a rare Clase blown save. In that one, he gave up back-to-back homers to Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton to lose the lead — two homers in consecutive at-bats against a pitcher who gave up just two homers all season, posted a 0.61 ERA and converted 47 of 50 save opportunities.
“I just haven’t been executing,” Clase said after Friday’s loss. “I’m failing against the hitters, and I haven’t had the results.”
Uncertainty suddenly reigns around the game’s premier closer, though the Guardians’ support of their relief ace remains steadfast. Cleveland’s deep and dominant bullpen has been the team’s chief asset all season, but with Clase’s October ERA now at 10.29 and other leaks springing throughout the bullpen, the group now has a 3.83 ERA, five losses and Thursday’s blown save on its playoff dossier.
“We play a game based on failure,” Guardians first baseman Josh Naylor said. “They’ve done such an incredible job for us. We believe in them and get excited every time they go to the mound.”
Clase’s struggles in Game 4 took a different shape than the home runs he allowed Thursday. This time, New York capitalized on three singles, a stolen base and an error to plate the go-ahead runs in the ninth. Unlike Game 3, when Clase’s teammates rallied for a memorable win, this time the Guardians’ late push fell short.
Asked if he has ever gone through such struggles, Clase said, “Not that I recall.” He added that he appreciates his teammates’ support and resilience.
“I have confidence in them,” he said. “I told them thank you for the job they did.”
Clase’s quick departure after Game 3 raised some eyebrows, but he was at his locker, ready to field questions as soon as the Cleveland clubhouse opened Friday. The focus shifts to Saturday and a Game 5 that the Guardians must win to keep their season alive.
“I’m not losing my confidence,” Clase said. “I’m going to give my best. It’s something that I’m surprised about, what’s happening.”
The days leading up to the 2025 NHL trade deadline were a furious final sprint as contenders looked to stock up for a postseason run while rebuilding clubs added prospects and draft capital.
After the overnight Brock Nelson blockbuster Thursday, Friday lived up to expectations, with Mikko Rantanen, Brad Marchand and other high-profile players finishing the day on different teams than they started with. All told, NHL teams made 24 trades on deadline day involving 47 players.
Which teams and players won the day? Who might not feel as well about the situation after trade season? Reporters Ryan S. Clark, Kristen Shilton and Greg Wyshynski identify the biggest winners and losers of the 2025 NHL trade deadline:
There are some who saw what the Carolina Hurricanes did at the trade deadline — or perhaps failed to do after they traded Mikko Rantanen — and believe they’re cooked when it comes to the Stanley Cup playoffs. However, based on the projections from Stathletes, the Canes remain the team with the highest chances of winning the Cup, at 16.7%.
Standing before them on Sunday are the Winnipeg Jets (5 p.m. ET, ESPN+). The Jets had a relatively quiet deadline, adding Luke Schenn and Brandon Tanev, though sometimes these additions are the types of small tweaks that can push a contender over the edge. As it stands, the Jets enter their showdown against the Canes with the sixth-highest Cup chances, at 8.7%.
Carolina has made two trips to the Cup Final: a loss to the Detroit Red Wings in 2002 and a win over the Edmonton Oilers in 2006. The Canes have reached the conference finals three times since (2009, 2019, 2023). Winnipeg has yet to make the Cup Final, and was defeated 4-1 in the 2018 Western Conference finals by the Vegas Golden Knights in the club’s lone trip to the penultimate stage.
Both clubs are due. Will this be their year?
There is a lot of runway left until the final day of the season on April 17, and we’ll help you keep track of it all here on the NHL playoff watch. As we traverse the final stretch, we’ll provide detail on all the playoff races — along with the teams jockeying for position in the 2025 NHL draft lottery.
Points: 43 Regulation wins: 12 Playoff position: N/A Games left: 17 Points pace: 54.3 Next game: vs. NSH (Tuesday) Playoff chances: ~0% Tragic number: 8
Race for the No. 1 pick
The NHL uses a draft lottery to determine the order of the first round, so the team that finishes in last place is not guaranteed the No. 1 selection. As of 2021, a team can move up a maximum of 10 spots if it wins the lottery, so only 11 teams are eligible for the draw for the No. 1 pick. Full details on the process can be found here. Sitting No. 1 on the draft board for this summer is Matthew Schaefer, a defenseman for the OHL’s Erie Otters.
Hintz extended his stick toward Henrique, whose wrist shot sent the puck under Hintz’s visor during his club’s 5-4 loss to the Oilers. He was on the ice, with his face in a towel, as the team’s medical staff assessed him and helped him skate toward the dressing room.
After the loss, Dallas coach Peter DeBoer said Hintz was at a local hospital, receiving tests. The coach added that the initial report was fairly optimistic for Hintz, 28, who has 25 goals and 52 points.
“Everyone’s optimistic that it’s not ‘serious, serious,'” DeBoer said. “But we won’t know until we get testing.”
The short-handed Stars rallied from a 5-1 deficit before eventually losing. Trade deadline acquisition Mikko Rantanen had a goal and an assist in his debut for Dallas, which had its four-game winning streak stopped. Wyatt Johnston, Jamie Benn and Matt Dumba also scored for the Stars.