Tuesday’s 8-1 win over the Giants did more than give the Guardians a needed victory. It also cooled down, at least for a moment, the kind of season talk that had been getting louder around Cleveland.
On 92.3 The Fan, Ken Carman said he’s not ready to bury this team yet, even after weeks of frustration and a rough stretch since the All-Star break. Speaking with Tony, Carman said he was close to drawing a line if Cleveland had lost again.
“Season’s not over. Actually, if they would’ve lost yesterday, I think I was gonna come in here and go, ‘Put your name on it.
Are you ready to call the season?’ The Guardians do this with their own social media.
It is kind of fun. You will spend hell on the internet for a day or two.
They take notice of anybody who puts out there, ‘Season’s over. Season’s done.’
Then, if they make a run, they’re going to save your stuff, and they’re going to let you hear it,” Carman said.
The timing of the win matters, too. Cleveland is in the middle of a run against four teams with losing records: the Giants, Rockies, Angels and Royals. If the Guardians are really the club this front office thinks they can still be, this is the kind of stretch where they need to stack wins and show it.
Adell’s career night helped spark the 8-1 result, and for now that was enough to keep the conversation from turning fully fatalistic. With about forty games left and the standings still crowded, the Guardians have room to make a case that this season isn’t finished yet.
In Other News...
Guardians Lineup Suddenly Has A New Problem Fans Cant Ignore
The Guardians lineup picked up another layer of uncertainty this week when Rhys Hoskins was moved to the injured list with lower back inflammation, a development that quickly shifted attention toward how Cleveland will patch together its offense. To fill the roster spot, the club brought back David Fry from Triple-A Columbus, giving the group another option while the everyday picture gets a little cloudier.
Fry had been swinging the bat well in Columbus and gives the Guardians some flexibility, but the broader concern is harder to miss because Chase DeLauter and Jo Adell are still active while working through their own issues. DeLauter is dealing with mild left hamstring tightness, and Adell has a left knee contusion, leaving Cleveland with multiple moving parts at once and no clear sense yet of how settled the lineup will look in the immediate future. [Read more 🡒]
Bo Naylor Is Raising A Tough Question Cleveland Never Answered
Bo Naylors time with the Brewers has already come with a noticeable shift in approach, and it has played out exclusively at Triple-A Nashville so far. The former Guardians catcher has looked more polished in his new setting, showing signs that his swing decisions and quality of contact are moving in the right direction after the trade.
The numbers have followed the eye test, with better underlying indicators and a far more dangerous line at the plate than he had been carrying before. Milwaukee could eventually have a real catching decision to make if it wants to see whether that progress translates beyond the minors, but the bigger question is whether Cleveland ever fully settled the one Naylor path it left open. [Read more 🡒]
Travis Bazzanas Rookie Slide Has Become A Real Guardians Concern
Travis Bazzanas first full taste of pro baseball has followed the usual rookie script, only with a rougher stretch lately. Since June 1, the Guardians young hitter has seen his offensive production dip and his strikeout rate climb, a reminder that even the most promising bats can hit a wall once pitchers start finding patterns and testing adjustments.
Stephen Vogt has not hidden the fact that Bazzana has been going through it, but the manager also has not wavered in his belief in the bat. Bazzana has already logged 106 games between Triple-A and the majors this season, which is plenty of mileage for a first-year player, and Cleveland now has to sort through how much of this is growing pain and how much is a concern if the slide keeps going. [Read more 🡒]