MLB contenders need to beat strong teams.
However, a big part of any success a team may have in any given season depends on the ability to avoid setbacks and unexpected losses against weak squads.
In the specific case of the Cleveland Guardians, they have mostly done their homework against the lowly Detroit Tigers.
With a hard-fought 4-3 win on Thursday afternoon, the Guardians completed a sweep of the Tigers.
However, their dominance against Detroit extends for much longer than the 2022 campaign.
“The Guardians are 85-34 against the Detroit Tigers since 2016. Dominance,” Cleveland sports podcaster and writer Nick Pedone wrote via Twitter.
The Guardians are 85-34 against the Detroit Tigers since 2016. Dominance. #ForTheLand
— Nick Pedone (@NickPedone12) August 11, 2022
An 85-34 record is insanely good, but truth be told, the Tigers have been among the league’s worst teams in recent seasons.
Cleveland Has Taken Advantage Of The Tigers’ Lousy Roster
In fact, their last winning season came in 2016, when they finished second in the AL Central with an 86-75 record.
Since 2017, when they traded veterans JD Martinez and Justin Verlander, they have lost more than they have won every single year.
Cleveland, meanwhile, has been very competitive most of those seasons even with limited resources.
They missed the postseason last year, but they are leading the division with a 59-52 record so far in 2022.
The Guardians are a talented young team, and it remains to be seen if they have what it takes to keep their division lead and turn it into a postseason spot eventually.
They are making it work with what they have to this point.
They will be fighting with the Minnesota Twins and the Chicago White Sox for a postseason berth.
Part of the job is beating weak teams, and the 2022 Tigers, much like the 2017-21 Tigers, certainly qualify.
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