Monday wasn’t the Cleveland Guardians’ best day.
The team entered play having lost six of their last eight contests.
After an ugly showing against the Detroit Tigers that resulted in an 8-2 loss, they have now been defeated in seven of their last nine games.
It’s probably the worst stretch of the season for a Guardians team that had been highly competitive to this point, but even the best squads in the league are prone to these.
The main thing will be seeing what the Guardians do this week to improve the roster, with the trade deadline looming on July 30.
To make matters worse, Cleveland’s closest competition in the division, the Kansas City Royals and the Minnesota Twins, both won their games and that means the Guards now lead the Central by four games against both.
“With wins by the Twins and Royals and the Guardians loss, their AL Central lead is down to 4. That’s down from a high watermark of 9 back on June 25. It took a month for it to drop to 4. Mariners dropped 10 in the same time Despite that, the 4-game lead is the most in the AL,” Guardians reporter @JL_baseball tweeted.
With wins by the Twins and Royals, and the Guardians loss, their AL Central lead is down to 4. That's down from a high watermark of 9 back on June 25. It took a month for it to drop to 4. Mariners dropped 10 in the same time
Despite that, the 4 game lead is the most in the AL.
— Justin L. (@JL_Baseball) July 23, 2024
Roughly a month ago, the Guards enjoyed a nine-game lead in the division.
It is now down to four, but even with the reduced division lead, it’s still the largest in the American League.
That speaks volumes about the excellent work the squad put in to be where they are today.
One thing is certain: Cleveland must improve if it wants to fend off the Twins and Royals in the division race.
They need to do something about their struggling offense and short-handed starting pitching.
NEXT: 3 Pitchers The Guardians Should Target Ahead Of Trade Deadline
