The Cleveland Guardians have lost once again. After yet another embarrassing night fans are left wondering if this team will ever get it together. After Cleveland was one of the hottest teams in baseball just last week they turned around and lost a big series to the San Diego Padres. San Diego was backed by an amazing performance from starting pitcher Michael Wacha. As well as a trio of homers by three all-stars.
Cleveland fell 5-0 to the Padres with Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, and Juan Soto all going yard. For a team that led the majors with a .901 OPS and scored the third-most runs last week with 38, things are not looking great. This series has been a big letdown for the Cleveland Guardians’ offense as they have scored only three runs in the first two games. As said by MLB.com.
What Happened To The Bats?
Cleveland just did not have an answer for Wacha. He wired 6 ⅔ scoreless innings allowing only four hits and a walk. No team has been able to figure Wacha out as of late. He is coming off being named Nl Pitcher Of The Month in May. After allowing just two runs in his first three starts in June, no other pitcher has a lower ERA.
“We got a little impatient against him,” Guardians manager Terry Francona said. “With the veteran that he is, he changed speeds, located the curveball against lefties, got the changeup in and out of the zone, and kept us honest with the fastball.”
On Top of running into one of Baseball’s hottest pitchers, Cleveland caught the Padres at their best. With their big three each homering it was a huge night for Tatis Jr. He had become the first player since Trea Turner to record three extra-base hits and at least two stolen bases in the same game. Tatis’s lead-off long-ball in the first kicked off the night for San Diego. Machado homered in the third, and then Soto joined the party.
Is Cleveland in Trouble?
“It’s a deep lineup, one of the best in the game,” Guardians starter Aaron Civale said. “We went in with an attack plan, but there were just a handful of pitches that got away.”
The Cleveland Guardians wrap up the series tonight, as they look to just get back into the win column. Can the Guards get back to their hitting ways? Or will it just be the same old Guardians we have seen all season so far? It will be interesting to see how they respond to these losses.
Image Credits: commons.wikimedia.org.
Amanda Lynne