Will Emmanuel Clase close tonight if Cleveland is winning?

It's been a tale of two seasons for Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase. The Cleveland Guardians reliever was the best closer in the MLB this season, allowing only five runs in 74 innings pitched. Clase led the American League in saves for the third straight year and was named an All-Star each of the last three years.

In the playoffs, however, he hasn't looked anywhere near his regular-season self. Clase has allowed eight earned runs in seven innings, for an ERA of 10.29 compared to his regular season ERA of 0.61. Questions about Saturday's Game 5 have arisen. Will Clase close if the Guardians are in a save situation? Let's take a look at his struggles this postseason.

Clase came into a 0-0 game against the Detroit Tigers in Game 2 of the ALDS and allowed a three-run bomb off the bat of Kerry Carpenter . Fortunately for Cleveland, Clase made the adjustment, allowing only one run in Game 4 and shutting down the Tigers in Game 5.

The ALCS has been different. In Game 3 of the series against the New York Yankees Clase entered with Cleveland holding a 3-1 lead and immediately blew it. Aaron Judge hit a two-run game-tying home run and Giancarlo Stanton followed that up by hitting a go-ahead solo shot . Clase had never allowed two home runs in a game before Thursday night's Game 3.

Cleveland came back to win 7-5 in extra innings in a classic postseason baseball game, sparing Clase the loss. However, the concerning trend continued into Game 4. After a furious comeback down 6-2, the Guardians tied the game in the bottom of the seventh inning, and Clase was called upon to get the game into extra innings tied at six.

Clase allowed two hits to start the ninth inning, and the Yankees would score on a Brayan Rocchio error and a Gleyber Torres single to take an 8-6 lead. They would win by that score and are one win away from their first World Series appearance since 2009.

If Guardians manager Stephen Vogt calls upon Clase Saturday he's going to have to change something. One more loss would eliminate the Guardians and send them home for the 76th straight year.

This article was originally published on thebiglead.com as Will Emmanuel Clase close tonight if Cleveland is winning? .