This was a game the Cleveland Guardians needed. Sure, they’re hopes of a pennant are still alive, but having to win four of the next five games is a tall task. The good thing is, the next three games are in Cleveland.
First and foremost, the Guardians are going to need a cleaner game than they had in Game 2 of the ALCS if they hope to even get one win, let alone four. The New York Yankees capitalized on the Guardians mistakes and that ultimately might be the biggest reason they’re down 2-0.
That said, here’s who to blame in the Guardians second straight loss in the ALCS.
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Will Brennan leads the litany of Guardians errors
Will Brennan wasn’t the only reason the Guardians lost but he certainly wanted to be one of the biggest reasons. He managed to muff the ball while trying to pick it up on a hit to right field. That gave the Yankees their second run of the game. In the bottom of the eighth, he managed to drop what should have been a routine fly ball to get a base runner.
In the first inning, it was an infield error from Brayan Rocchio that scored the game’s first run and got Aaron Judge on base. And in the eighth inning, it was a pitch clock violation that walked Alex Verdugo and advanced Anthony Volpe to second.
Yeah those errors are inexcusable at this point in the season. The Guardians won’t win this series let alone a game if they continue to make simple mistakes.
Lack of timely hits stalls Guardians offense
If there’s one thing Cleveland struggled to do in Tuesday night’s loss was get hits when they needed them. They left 11 runners on base. Between the second and fourth innings, the Guardians had four hits and didn’t score a single run.
It wasn’t until the fifth inning when the Guardians rallied to get within a run. Aside from that inning and Jose Ramierz’s ninth inning solo shot, Cleveland didn't get runners into scoring position and didn't capitalize on the runners that did get in scoring position. That isn’t going to cut it.
Bullpen struggles against Yankees in Game 2
The bullpen didn’t look good for the Guardians. After Stephen Vogt opted to intentionally walk Juan Soto and then take out Tanner Bibee one out into the second inning, the Guardians bullpen wasn’t able to stop the bleeding.
Again, there were some errors that certainly didn’t help the bullpen, but only five strikeouts, two walks and six hits after Bibee left the game isn’t going to cut it. The Guardians exhausted seven arms in the game which isn’t ideal either.
But when you pull your ace that early in the game, it’s up to the relievers to limit the damage. And the Guardians simply didn’t do that. They didn’t play badly considering the Yankees were held to three runs through the first five innings. But, that’s the pressure the bullpen was under with Bibee getting pulled early.
The best thing for Cleveland is to have a day off to rest and recuperate for three straight home games. This could be the turning point in the ALCS for the Guardians, but if they don’t play better, it will be over before it begins.