The Cleveland Guardians are looking to return to the World Series for the first time since 2016, a series in which fans still shudder about losing a rain-soaked Game 7 at home to the Chicago Cubs.
Of course, the Guardians franchise has not won the World Series since just after the end of World War 2, so needless to say, it’s going to be quite the party in Ohio if they ultimately are able to get things done.
But they can’t afford to look too far ahead despite their victory in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series over the Tampa Bay Rays, as there is still one major problem that they need to address if they want to make their title dreams a reality.
Cleveland Guardians Still Have One Major Problem To Fix In ALCS
The Guardians have taken the upper hand against the Rays in the ALCS, but there’s still one problem that they need to fix.
During their Game 1 win, the Guardians went 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position and left six runners on base.
While they were able to ultimately put seven runs on the board, it easily could have been several more, and considering that the Rays will be looking to tighten up defensively, the Guardians would be best served by making the most of their scoring opportunities going forward.
This isn’t a new issue that they’ve faced; during their American League Division Series against the Chicago White Sox, they went 10-for-37 with runners in scoring position.
Game 2 between the Guardians and Rays will be played on Tuesday evening starting at 8:00 p.m. ET from Tropicana Field.
The Guardians Picked Up A Game 1 Win Over The Rays In The ALCS
The Guardians are now just three wins away from making their first trip to the World Series in a decade, and for manager Stephen Vogt, he couldn’t be prouder of his group despite the struggles with RISP.
“I couldn’t be more proud of them,” said Vogt following the contest via MLB.com. “We got punched early. Our pitching staff, credit to them for stopping it and keeping us in the game as long as they did. The offense came alive. I thought we had great at-bats the whole game. Just couldn’t get that one hit with runners in scoring position. Hitting a couple balls out of the yard made it a new game.”
Guardians Have One Major Problem to Fix In ALCS