The Cleveland Guardians lost on Sunday.
Unfortunately, that has become a common outcome for them in recent games, and their postseason odds have suffered.
Cleveland has now lost three straight games after being swept in Seattle.
They have also dropped eight of their last 10 games in a worrisome stretch in which the offense has scored more than four runs just once.
The Guardians, who once ruled the AL Central division, are now back to .500 at 35-35.
They are 9.5 games behind the division leaders, the Detroit Tigers, and the gap has often looked bigger on the field.
Cleveland’s rotation is talented, yet wildly inconsistent, and has never had four guys producing good results at the same time this year.
Their offense is highly unproductive and relies on what Jose Ramirez can do.
Steven Kwan and Carlos Santana have been nice complementary pieces, and Kyle Manzardo has had his moments, but the unit is far from where it needs to be.
The bullpen has been solid, but far from the dominance it showed last year.
If the Guardians want to compete this year, they will need to make some sacrifices.
They will need to turn some of their top prospects into useful trade acquisitions.
Additionally, they need to trust their young players from the minor leagues to contribute.
Juan Brito, Chase DeLauter, C.J. Kayfus, Parker Messick, Franco Aleman, and others can contribute if given the chance.
The team needs to try something soon because it is losing valuable ground in the playoff race.
If the season ended today, the Guardians would be out of the playoffs.
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