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This is the Guardians team we came to know and love.
On Saturday, the Guardians faced off against the Royals in Kansas City.
And Cleveland desperately needed a win, having dropped the first game of the series 4-3, extending its losing streak to five games.
But not only did the Guardians pull out a win, but they managed a blowout.
A 13-1 blowout.
Not only is 13 runs a lot, but it matches the total run output the Guardians managed over the club’s last five games.
About Time
Just about everything possible went right for the Guardians on Saturday.
For starters, every single batter except Oscar Mercado managed a hit; five batters slapped three hits.
Included in that three-hit crew was Myles Straw, who’s turned things around of late.
Over his last four games, Straw has had seven hits, a huge reason why his batting average finally ticked back up above the Mendoza Line at the end of the week.
The other heartwarming story came from Nolan Jones.
The right fielder was called up on Friday, and since then, he’s made the most of his limited time, notching four hits.
And on Saturday, Jones hit his first big league homer, keeping the fairytale start going strong.
And needless to say, fans were here for it:
Nolan Jones hits his first Big League homer a whopping 4⃣5⃣7⃣ feet!#ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/K4VofoWC4G
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) July 9, 2022
Jose is only a triple short of the cycle in a triples friendly ball park
Cycle watch. #Fortheland
— 216 Baseball Podcast (@216BaseballPod) July 9, 2022
Myles Straw has had a decent series so far here in Kansas City and it makes me happy. #ForTheLand
— Arthur (@Merris_Tail) July 9, 2022
Should we be worried that literally every single Gaurdians player has a hit today.
All…except Oscar Mercado.
— Skeleton Crew #96 (@SkeletonCrew96) July 9, 2022
O.M.G. AT THIS GAME ALREADY!!!!!
@CleGuardians #ForTheLand #CLEvsKC
— Sydney
(@90sGirl_Sydney) July 9, 2022
Jones made sure he soaked up the moment as much as possible:
“This has all been unbelievable for me. It’s been my dream my whole life. To get the opportunity and have all my family and friends up there cheering me on, it’s all I’ve ever dreamed about.”
“There’s a lot of seats in here and there’s a lot of people. I took a walk out here yesterday and teared up. It’s all I’ve ever wanted, and now it’s go time. It’s about getting used to these places, going out there and helping these guys win.”
Looking Ahead
The Guardians are hoping this blowout win mirrors another one from earlier in the season.
At the end of May, the Guardians were in a similar spot to now: they started out strong, riding great offense and pitching.
But things took a turn as the club scuffled in May.
But on May 28, the Guardians obliterated the Detroit Tigers 8-1.
The win breathed new life into Cleveland’s season, winning 18 of the club’s next 23.
And just like at the end of May, Guardians are in dire need of a turnaround.
The club is 41-41, and while break-even ball isn’t a bad thing, the team was eight games over .500 just a few weeks ago.
But Cleveland is also 3.5 games behind the Twins for first in the AL Central, with even the Baltimore Orioles hot on Cleveland’s heels for a Wild Card spot.
It’s a critical stretch for the Guardians, who are set to play a slew of division games against the White Sox and Tigers before the All-Star break.
More must-reads:
- Astros GM makes revealing comments about team's trade-deadline strategy amid poor start
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- The 'MLB Rookies of the Year' quiz
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