The Guardians found their two runs right away, then spent the rest of the night doing what has become far too familiar: nothing.
Cleveland scored both of its runs in the first inning and never added another, dropping a 4-2 decision as Tanner Bibee was charged with the exact number of earned runs he leads by. That gave him the loss in a game where the offense gave him almost no room for error and the bullpen didn’t do him any favors.
Bibee handed the lead back in the third, Cooper Ingle helped let it slip in the seventh by not knowing how many outs there were, and Shawn Armstrong allowed a home run in the eighth to finish the job.
For Guardians fans, it was another maddening night built on the same old pattern: a brief burst early, then a long stretch of empty at-bats and defensive mistakes that turned a winnable game into another frustrating loss.
There was at least one bright spot. Chase DeLauter looked awesome against Jacob deGrom.
And Braylon Doughty was promoted to AA, a move that stands out for fans who view him as a favorite pitching prospect.
The bigger issue remains the offense, which continues to look incapable of adapting. Chris Paddack shut Cleveland down Monday night and was immediately DFA’d after doing the only thing Texas needed from him.
The Guardians still couldn’t solve him, even though he has an ERA near 10 against everyone else. That kind of pattern has become part of the problem: Grant Fink’s offense never adjusts to anything.
In Other News...
Guardians Rookie Faces More Heat As Rough Lesson Continues
Cooper Ingles growing pains in left field continued against the White Sox, where the Guardians rookie was charged with his second error in two games after dropping a fly ball. The miscue stood out because Ingle is still a catcher by trade and is only beginning to learn the demands of a new position after a recent promotion.
Stephen Vogt has already tried to frame the situation as part of the learning curve, urging Ingle to move past the first mistake and keep playing. For Cleveland, the larger question is how quickly a player with so little outfield experience can settle in while the club keeps asking him to handle a spot that is still very new to him. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Suddenly Have A Breakout Star On The Verge Of Recognition
Parker Messick has gone from an afterthought in spring training to one of the most interesting pitchers in Clevelands season, giving the Guardians a legitimate breakout arm at a time when they needed one. The left-hander has paired steady results with strong underlying metrics, and his 2.85 ERA has put him among the American Leagues better starters while earning attention well beyond the clubhouse.
With All-Star rosters still not finalized, Messick is suddenly in the conversation as a possible first-time selection, which would be a remarkable turn for a pitcher who was not expected to be in the rotation out of camp. He has already turned heads inside the game, and the next step is whether that recognition turns into a trip to the midsummer showcase, something he has made clear would carry real meaning for him. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Seized Control Of The Central In Unbelievable Fashion
Chicago had spent much of the night looking like the sharper team, jumping on Cleveland early and putting the Guardians in a familiar chase mode at Progressive Field. But the home team kept hanging around, and the game turned into the kind of late-inning grind that can change the feel of a season, especially when first place in the AL Central is sitting there for the taking.
Brayan Rocchio delivered the swing that made it happen, a two-run shot in the ninth that sent Cleveland home with a 6-5 win and its second walk-off victory of his career. The result pushed the Guardians into sole possession of first in the division on a percentage basis, another reminder of how quickly a race can flip when a club keeps finding ways to finish. [Read more 🡒]