Stephen Vogt, the manager of the Cleveland Guardians, has tried to maintain a positive attitude despite the difficult situation the team is going through in recent weeks.
The Sunday loss to the Detroit Tigers extended the Guardians’ losing streak to 10 games, the first time since 2012 they have suffered a double-digit losing streak. This is the eleventh time in the franchise’s history that they have lost 10 consecutive games in a season.We are all in this together. It’s frustrating, but the only way to overcome frustrating situations is to maintain a positive attitude and keep working.
Stephen Vogt
Since June 1, Cleveland has a 9-22 record, the worst in the American League, including a 4-12 at home. They have lost eight of their last 10 three-game series and have been swept four times. With a 40-48 record, the Guardians head into the All-Star break below .500 for the first time since 2015. They are 6.5 games out of a wild card spot, after winning the American League Central Division and reaching the American League Championship Series last season. Repeating as division champions seems unattainable, with a 15.5-game deficit to the Tigers, after being swept over the weekend. Offensive performance has been disappointing. During the losing streak, the team is batting .166, their worst 10-game stretch since 2020. Timely hitting has been even worse. The Guardians are 5-52 with runners in scoring position, including 2-31 with two outs.This game felt like a kick in the ass. It really was. Agonizing. Heartbreaking.
Stephen Vogt
Cleveland went 9-15 in June and had a .206 batting average, making it the third-worst hitting month in franchise history with at least 13 games played. The Guardians haven’t won in six July games, including two shutouts.I feel like we’re putting runners on base and waiting for that big hit. The pitchers are doing what they need to do. We had good defense in the last few days.
Steven Kwan
Kwan and third baseman José Ramírez are the only regular players batting above .240. Even Ramírez, the American League’s starting third baseman, has slumped, batting 3-31 in the last 10 games. The pitchers’ performance has been solid for the most part, but has faltered at key moments. On Sunday, closer Emmanuel Clase threw a wild pitch with a 99.9 mph fastball with two outs in the ninth inning, allowing Zach McKinstry to score the tying run. Trey Sweeney’s three-run homer in the tenth inning marked the first time someone had hit a home run off Cade Smith in 81 appearances and 78 2/3 innings.We haven’t been good at situational hitting. We have to keep working on that. It’s frustrating.
Stephen Vogt
After facing Detroit Tigers’ ace Tarik Skubal on Sunday, the Guardians will face Hunter Brown of the Houston Astros on Monday. Brown leads the American League with an ERA of 1.82 and his 126 strikeouts are the seventh-best record. The Guardians have also had issues off the field. Luis Ortiz is the subject of a Major League Baseball betting investigation involving bets on pitches he made and was placed on leave on Thursday. Vogt has tried to remain calm, emphasizing that there’s still a lot of season left to play. But with the trade deadline less than a month away, time could be running out.We are all in this together. It’s frustrating, but the only way to overcome frustrating situations is to maintain a positive attitude and keep working.
Stephen Vogt
It’s no use regretting or talking about negative things and complaining. That’s not productive. We have to keep working to improve. We’re all in this together. There’s light at the end of the tunnel. I mean, this is going to change.
Stephen Vogt
