You don't need to check the standings to know it was a rough week for the Cleveland Guardians. A five-game losing streak, capped by back-to-back shutouts in Tampa Bay, has suddenly slammed the brakes on a solid start to July.
Over the weekend, the Rays swept the Guardians, outscoring them 15-3. But the problems actually started a few days earlier.
After opening a four-game set against Minnesota with 13-4 and 5-2 wins, Cleveland dropped the last two, losing 10-6 on July 22 and 3-1 on July 23. The offense hasn't recovered since. In Tampa, an 11-3 blowout on July 24 was followed up by 3-0 and 1-0 shutouts. Across this five-game slide, the Guardians have been outscored 28-10.
It's a frustrating shift for a team that looked capable of putting together a real run. Between dropping two of three to Pittsburgh the previous weekend and getting completely shut down by Rays pitching, a clear pattern is emerging: when this lineup goes cold, they stay cold.
What lies ahead?
Nobody is panicking in late July over a bad week, but Cleveland desperately needs a reset. We saw their ceiling when they hung 13 runs on the Twins just last Monday, so the firepower is obviously in the dugout. Right now, it’s just a matter of consistency.
They won't have to wait long for a chance to turn the page. The Guardians are taking on the Cincinnati Reds today at Great American Ball Park.
With a doubleheader on tap today, can Cleveland's bats finally wake up and snap the slump, or will the losing streak stretch even further?