Three Observations From Guardians Loss To Royals, 2-1
The Cleveland Guardians came out on the losing side of the series opener with the Kansas City Royals, 2-1, after an off night on offense.
Here are three observations and takeaways from Cleveland’s loss.
Ben Lively’s Quality Start
Ben Lively pitched a very solid game in the series opener. He gave the Guardians 6.0 strong innings of work, struck out five batters, gave up six hits, and walked just one batter.
The only two runs Lively gave up were the only runs the Royals scored in the game. However, Cleveland’s offense had a rare off day and they weren’t able to outscore their opponent.
What made Lively so effective against Kansas City was his aggressiveness. 65 percent of the pitches he threw were strikeouts and he consistently found himself with 0-1 or 1-2 counts.
Lively may have been credited with the loss, but he certainly has a winning mentality on the mound.
Missed Opportunities On Offense
Let’s take a deeper look at the offense and what went wrong in Thursday’s loss.
The Guardians had no trouble getting runners on base as they finished the game with seven hits and three walks. However, getting those runners around to score was their issue.
The Guardians were 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position and left a total of nine men on base. Cleveland has excelled with taking advantage of their opportunities on offense all season, but that was their downfall in the series opener.
Off Night For The Guardians
The Guardians have played an energetic brand of baseball all season long and that’s one of the reasons they’re one of the top teams in the American League. However, Cleveland seemed to be a little off on Thursday.
The team struck out 11 times, chased a lot of pitches, and struggled to get the big hit. This is all uncharacteristic for a disciplined Guardians team.
Every team has their off nights. It’s not an excuse for losing a game, but knowing this isn’t who they are should give some hope that they’ll bounce right back on Friday.
TOMMY WILD