The Cleveland Guardians have dropped two straight games in San Diego to open their series against the Padres.
They will try to avoid the sweep on Wednesday but will have to face Dylan Cease and his unparalleled strikeout ability.
Since they opened the season with two wins in Kansas City and one loss, the Guardians are currently 2-3.
Here is a bit of data that might seem insignificant, but highlights just how good the team was in 2024, Stephen Vogt’s first season as the manager.
“The #Guardians fall below the .500 mark for the first time in the Stephen Vogt managerial era,” Cleveland sports anchor Nick Camino posted on X.
The #Guardians fall below the .500 mark for the first time in the Stephen Vogt managerial era.
— Nick Camino (@NickCaminoWKYC) April 2, 2025
In the grand scheme of things, boasting a 2-3 record shouldn’t be a reason to worry because the season has 162 games and there is more than enough time to turn things around.
It is, however, the first time in Vogt’s era as the Guardians’ skipper that the team is below .500.
The Guards were incredible in 2024, finishing with a 92-69 record and advancing to the American League Championship Series.
The closest that team was from .500 ball last year was when they lost two in a row after a 3-0 start, leaving their record at 3-2.
From that point on, they started winning games and never looked back.
Yes, they had their rough stretches like almost every squad, but they won much more often than they lost and their record reflected it.
This time, the offense hit a cold stretch for a couple of games early in the season and the starting pitching hasn’t been sharp beyond Tanner Bibee, Gavin Williams, and Ben Lively.
That has caused the first sub-.500 day in Vogt’s young career.
Fortunately, there are 157 additional games for the Guardians to show they are a playoff-caliber team.
NEXT: Guardians Offense Continues To Struggle In Ugly Loss Against Padres
