A 10-game losing streak from June 26 through July 6 put the Cleveland Guardians’ postseason chances on the rocks.
Going 1-5 on a trip against the Arizona Diamondbacks and Texas Rangers over the last week likely ended their playoff aspirations.
Cleveland returns home Monday to begin a three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays. Guardians right-hander Tanner Bibee (9-9, 4.62 ERA) takes on Rays rookie left-hander Ian Seymour (1-0, 3.86).
“We have not played well and we need to play better — and we know that,” said Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt, whose team has lost five straight and eight of its last nine games.
“We feel the urgency. We know that we can’t afford to have this stretch last any longer than it has.”
The Guardians dropped below .500 by getting swept by the Rangers, being shut out in back-to-back contests and outscored by a 15-0 margin to end their trip. They also fell five full games out of the final American League wild-card position.
Starting pitchers Logan Allen and Gavin Williams were throttled for 12 earned runs in 8 1/3 innings, while Cleveland’s offense managed just eight hits over the final two losses.
“There is still a lot of ball left. One road trip doesn’t affect our season,” Williams said. “We’ve got some of the best hitters there are. I have faith in the hitters for sure. And I’ve just got to get better and throw more strikes.”
Bibee has made one start in each of the last two seasons against Tampa Bay, going 1-1 with a 3.46 ERA and 14 strikeouts without a walk over 13 innings.
The third-year veteran hasn’t taken a loss since July 2 at the Chicago Cubs, going 5-0 with a poor 5.56 ERA in eight starts. Cleveland is 7-1 in those games, which have seen Bibee average 5.4 innings and 5.3 strikeouts.
The Rays have long been out of the postseason hunt, but they won two straight at home over the St. Louis Cardinals before traveling to Cleveland.
First-time All-Star Junior Caminero belted a grand slam Sunday in a 7-2 win, breaking the AL record for the most homers in a season by a player 21 or younger with 37. Alex Rodriguez had set the mark with 36 for the Seattle Mariners in 1996.
“I’m running out of words, but remarkable, special; that comes with what he’s done this year,” Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said. “I know he’s at the top of the list and I’m happy for Cammy.”
Third baseman Caminero hit a pair of homers against the Cardinals and has nine in his last 15 games, giving him 91 RBIs on the year. He is batting .255 with an .825 OPS and sits fourth in the AL in home runs.
“We all came into the season joking with him about hitting 30 (homers) and now, he’s on the cusp of 40,” Rays pitcher Ryan Pepiot said. “He’s very humble and he works hard. You can’t ask for anything more than that.”
Seymour won his major league debut on June 9 with two innings of relief at the Boston Red Sox, but this will be his initial start in his 13th appearance. He has not faced the Guardians and has a 1.93 ERA in four appearances against teams with losing records.
–Field Level Media
