The Cleveland Guardians have shown some inconsistency in recent games.
Heading into Thursday’s game, they had a brief two-game winning streak, but this followed a stretch where they dropped seven of nine games.
Aiming for a third consecutive win, the Guardians were thwarted by the Detroit Tigers, who shut them out 3-0 to split the series.
A crucial error by Guardians’ starter Gavin Williams proved costly; he allowed a three-run homer to Tigers’ shortstop Javier Baez in the second inning, which was all Detroit needed for the victory.
The Guardians’ bats remained quiet against the Tigers’ bullpen, as Tyler Holton, Easton Lucas, Alex Faedo, Jason Foley, Andrew Chafin, and Shelby Miller combined to limit Cleveland to just four hits.
Cleveland managed only one walk and struck out ten times, raising concerns for the team. In their last six games, the Guardians have managed only ten runs, with half of those coming in a single game.
Earlier in the season, the Guardians’ offense was performing well above average, but they’ve been struggling recently. This slump has led to speculation that the organization might seek reinforcements before the July 30 trade deadline.
The Guardians have a strong farm system with prospects that could attract potential trade partners, and they may need to make multiple deals to stay competitive with the league’s top teams.