Emmanuel Clase’s career as a closer with Cleveland began with a major blemish. It’s been pristine ever since.

Clase became the club’s career saves leader on Friday night, notching his 150th in less than five seasons — and No. 40 in 2024 — as the Guardians outlasted the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The right-hander with the devastating cut fastball passed Cody Allen (149) on Cleveland’s career list. Clase has done it in hardly any time at all, and the 26-year-old only seems to be getting better.

Guardians first-year manager Stephen Vogt, who is asked nearly every day about Clase’s excellence, has run out of adjectives, but managed to find another to describe Cleveland’s lethal late-inning weapon.

“It’s fun,” he said. “What he’s done in the short spurt here is truly special and I’m only here for five months of it. It’s just remarkable.”

That would certainly describe what Clase has done this season.

As of Friday, he had converted 27 straight save chances since May 20, the third longest streak in team history. Clase is also the first Cleveland pitcher to record at least 40 saves in three straight seasons, and the first in the majors since Atlanta’s Craig Kimbrel did it four times from 2011-14.

The quickness of Clase’s ascent up Cleveland’s career list is even more impressive considering he sat out the entire 2020 season after being suspended for violating league rules by testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs.

There have been no missteps since, just fastballs, strikeouts and saves.

Following the game, the Guardians saluted Clase with a champagne toast in the clubhouse and pitching coach Carl Willis presented him with a crystal plaque.

“It means a lot,” Clase said through an interpreter. “It’s a good personal accomplishment, but I know those things come and go at the end. The real goal is to win the championship.”

Clase is also making a strong case for Cy Young consideration.

He’s allowed just five earned runs all season has as an MLB-best 0.71 ERA to go along with the league lead in saves.

The last reliever to win the Cy Young was Eric Gagné of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2003. Dennis Eckersley was the last AL winner in 1992.

Scherzer figures out arm nerve issue

Max Scherzer feels confident that he has figured out what was causing a nerve issue that has kept him from pitching for a month, and the three-time Cy Young Award winner is now ready to rehab to get back on the mound for the Texas Rangers.

Scherzer said Saturday that a change in mechanics alleviated the irritation of the triceps nerve that was only happening when he was pitching. He came out of a full bullpen session Friday without any pain.

“I feel like I can overcome this, because there’s nothing wrong. ... I don’t have an injury here. This was just nerve irritation,” Scherzer said. “I feel like I potentially have solved this, and now I can actually build back up.”

Even with reigning World Series champion Texas already shifting its focus to 2025 — the Rangers went into Saturday night’s game 10 games back in the AL West — the 40-year-old Scherzer said he definitely wants to pitch again this season, and still plans to pitch more after that.

Scherzer is in the final season of his contract.