Cleveland Guardians Need To Take Advantage Of Upcoming Home Stand

The Cleveland Guardians enter their series with the Texas Rangers with a 38-20 record at Progressive Field this season.

Apr 13, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan (38), outfielder Tyler Freeman (2) and outfielder Will Brennan (17) stand on the field in the fifth inning against the New York Yankees at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports / David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

We’ve officially hit the point of the season where each game carries extra weight. The American League Central racing is closing in with the Minnesota Twins and Kansas City Royals behind the Cleveland Guardians, who still lead the division.

However, the Guardians are just 5-5 in their last ten games and are in the middle of their biggest slump of the season.

Cleveland does have an opportunity to get back on a winning streak over the next week and a half and could create a little more separation from themselves and the Royals and Twins in the process.

The Guardians open up a nine-game homestand at Progressive Field this Friday night, a place they’ve historically played well at this season. Cleveland’s 38-20 (65.5 winning percentage) is the best in the American League and only behind the Philadelphia Phillies (42-22, 65.6 winning percentage) and the Los Angeles Dodgers (41-21, 66.1 winning percentage) for the best in baseball. 

Aug 14, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians left fielder Steven Kwan (38) singles in the fifth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports / David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Not only have the Guardians played winning baseball at home, they also have winnable series on the schedule too. They’ll open up with the Texas Rangers, who have are just 13-19 since the All-Star Break. Next up are the Royals, which will certainly be a tightly contested series with both teams at the top of the standings. The Guardians will close their home stand with the Pittsburgh Pirates, who are 11-19 since the mid summer classic.

Cleveland can’t take any of their opponents for granted, but these are definitely winnable series for the Guardians. Given that Cleveland has played winning baseball on their field the entire season and their upcoming schedule, they must take advantage of this home stand to stay in the postseason hunt.