The Guardians have built their season on pitching, but the offense keeps undercutting the whole operation.
That tension showed up again after Cleveland dropped two of three to Toronto, and the familiar problem was hard to miss: the lineup is creating chances, then failing to cash them in. On the Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast, beat reporters Joe Noga and Paul Hoynes dug into why the scoring drought keeps resurfacing, and Hoynes didn’t sugarcoat it.
“When it comes down to it, this is still a subpar offensive club that does not take advantage of its opportunities, that strands too many runners on base and just leaves too many runners out there,” Hoynes said. “Doesn’t take advantage of enough opportunities to take advantage of some very, very good pitching.”
That has been the script for much of the year, and the Toronto series fit it neatly. On Wednesday, Dylan Cease blanked Cleveland over six innings in an 11-0 loss, another reminder that strikeout-heavy pitching has given this club trouble all season. Then on Thursday, the Guardians put Toronto starter José Soriano in trouble in the first two innings and still came away empty, going 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position.
The lineup’s highs and lows run through José Ramírez, because Cleveland has built so much of its offense around him. When he’s rolling, the whole group looks sharper. When he isn’t at peak production, the pressure spills everywhere else.
“We see little flashes from Ramírez, but then he kind of takes a step back,” Hoynes said. “This whole thing is built around him and when he’s not performing at peak production, everybody else suffers. Everybody else tries to do a little too much and the whole system kind of shudders a little bit.”
One of the few bright spots has been Chase DeLauter, who has kept making a case that he belongs in the middle of the order. The rookie outfielder had three hits on Wednesday and added a double on Thursday, and his work has stood out not just because of the numbers but because of how composed he looks.
“You know, DeLauter’s just been really fun to watch,” Hoynes said. “He looks like a five year guy, a five year veteran, a guy that has been around for a long time and you just love his approach to hitting.”
Noga also brought up whether DeLauter is getting enough attention in American League Rookie of the Year talk, especially with other candidates drawing more national buzz.
Now Cleveland heads into a series against Detroit with a chance to keep building around DeLauter and maybe get the rest of the lineup moving in the right direction. If the Guardians start turning more of those chances into runs, the offense could finally begin to support all that pitching.
If not, the same old problem will keep hanging over them, and in September there isn’t much room left for wasted opportunities.
In Other News...
Guardians Suddenly Have A Postseason Problem They Never Expected From Bibee
Tanner Bibees recent start in Toronto only added to the uneasy feeling around Clevelands rotation at the exact moment the Guardians can least afford it. In a 6-3 loss to the Blue Jays, Bibee gave up five runs in four innings, another reminder that the clubs most important stretch run is being complicated by a pitcher who entered the game as one of the biggest questions on the staff.
Cleveland is still clinging to a half-game lead for the American Leagues final Wild Card spot at 70-70, but the margin for error is thin and the pitching picture is getting harder to trust. Bibee has been inconsistent enough to lead the majors in losses, and if the Guardians are going to make this race hold, they need a lot more certainty from a starter they expected to lean on when the games start to matter most. [Read more 🡒]
Former Guardians Could Haunt Cleveland Fans All Through September
September has a way of turning old acquaintances into uncomfortable reminders, and that figure is likely to be a recurring theme for Cleveland fans as the season closes. Several former Guardians hitters are positioned for meaningful roles with new clubs down the stretch, giving them a chance to matter in the pennant race and, if their teams keep going, in October as well. Bo Naylor is with the Milwaukee Brewers, Josh Naylor has landed with the Seattle Mariners, Richie Palacios is part of the Tampa Bay Rays mix, Amed Rosario is now in the New York Yankees orbit, and Lane Thomas is with the Atlanta Braves.
For Cleveland, the challenge is not just seeing familiar faces on other rosters, but seeing them in spots where their current teams can lean on them. Each one brings a different kind of value and a different level of postseason relevance, which makes the next month feel a little like a reunion tour with real stakes attached. The Guardians are trying to finish their own season on their terms, but these ex-Guardians could keep showing up in moments that matter for someone else. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Suddenly Face A Bullpen Question Before A Crucial Doubleheader
Carlos Hernndez had been giving the Guardians a look out of the bullpen, working two relief appearances and striking out multiple batters while operating in low-leverage spots. Even so, Cleveland moved him off the roster to create space for pitching prospect Austin Peterson ahead of a doubleheader, a reminder of how quickly a club can shift its pitching picture when the schedule tightens.
The move leaves Hernndez in limbo as the Guardians wait to see whether he clears waivers and stays in the organization. For a team trying to manage arms around a crucial doubleheader, it is another small but potentially meaningful bullpen wrinkle, especially with a call-up in Peterson now taking priority over a veteran reliever who had just started to settle in. [Read more 🡒]