Guardians undone by miscues, cold bats as early homestand troubles continue

CLEVELAND -- The Guardians returned to Cleveland this weekend hoping to build upon their 6-0 road trip against the Rockies and Angels, which helped change the tune around a team whose season appeared to be slipping away for much of August.

The first two days of their ensuing 10-game homestand have instead been a bit of a letdown.

The Guardians lost, 8-3, to the Royals on Saturday as Kansas City secured the three-game series. Cleveland is back at .500 (68-68) after losing consecutive games following its season-high-tying seven-game winning streak.

“We're coming off a really good stretch where we were playing really good baseball,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. “This has been two days. We have an opportunity to snap it back in tomorrow.”

The Guardians maintained their grip on the final American League Wild Card spot despite their loss on Saturday, after they entered the day with a two-game lead over the Rangers. Their season isn’t over because of two bad days. But their winning streak showed how quickly the narrative can change with one stretch.

Cleveland has 26 games remaining. Every win and every loss begin to matter more this time of year. It’s imperative the Guardians snap it back in on Sunday.

To do so, they’ll need to avoid a messy breakdown like what unfolded in the sixth inning on Saturday.​

“That sixth inning really took the wind out of our sails, so to speak,” Vogt said.

The Guardians and Royals were tied, 2-2, entering that frame. Kansas City proceeded to send 10 batters to the plate and score four runs off Cleveland's bullpen, with the benefit of two defensive lapses.

Guardians starter Foster Griffin allowed two runs on four hits and one walk over five innings. His pitch count sat at 82, but with Royals star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. set to lead off the sixth, Vogt turned to Colin Holderman and a bullpen that has been excellent recently.

The Guardians entered Saturday with an AL-leading 1.81 relief ERA in 54 2/3 innings over their previous 15 games. But Witt and Jac Caglianone hit consecutive singles off Holderman, and Salvador Perez followed with an RBI double that gave the Royals a 3-2 lead.

“I understood probably not wanting me to face Bobby a third time, the rest of the lineup the third time through,” Griffin said. “Our bullpen track record speaks for itself. I feel like we may have had a better bullpen matchup -- bullpen versus bullpen -- for the rest of the way. I understood the move.”

The inning unraveled when Nick Loftin reached on a ground ball that booted off the heel of shortstop Brayan Rocchio’s glove. Loftin was awarded a hit, but the ball was hit right to Rocchio. It’s a play we’ve seen him make countless times.

Pinch-hitter John Rave followed by hitting a ground ball that went under third baseman José Ramírez’s glove. Another run scored. Two more came around when Josh Rojas added a check-swing, two-run single off Erik Sabrowski.

Beyond the sixth, the Guardians had another sluggish day offensively after they were shut out, 3-0, on Friday. Angel Martínez belted a two-run home run in the second inning, and he added an RBI single in the ninth. Cleveland tallied one walk and three hits in between those knocks, albeit with some misfortune along the way.

Rocchio hit what momentarily appeared to be an RBI infield single in the second inning, which would have given Cleveland a 3-0 lead. Perez fielded the chopper down the first-base line and came together with Royals starter Daniel Lynch IV in the baseline. Rocchio ran around them to his left and dove into first, untagged.

If Rocchio ran straight, he would have collided with one or both players. He may have been called safe had he done so. Instead, he was called out for leaving the baseline.

“When they said, ‘You went around up the line,’” Rocchio said, “I said, ‘What am I supposed to do in that situation?’”

“The explanation I got was that he deviated the baseline after Salvy had the ball,” Vogt said. “He could have deviated earlier and it would have been fine. But he deviated once Salvy had the ball, therefore, it's out of the baseline.”

While the Royals (62-75) have had a down season, the Guardians aren’t underestimating anyone at this point. No matter whom they play, the goal is the same.

To get to the postseason, Cleveland must stack up wins over the next month.

“No matter if they’re in first place, last place, who you're facing, you just gotta go out there and play baseball,” Martínez said. “But I know we're gonna make it.”