What Went Wrong: Unlucky 77
The Cleveland Guardians' season ending comeback only sees their postseason woes continue
How the American League Central was won in 2025 will definitely be the latest of a long, long list of amazing tales in baseball history. Much like their National League counterparts in the southern end of Ohio, the Cleveland Guardians were an afterthought. Not only were they 10.5 games out entering September, they were in third place! The Guardians exploded in September, capitalizing on the freefalling of the Detroit Tigers and moving into a position for them to easily clinch the AL Central. They did just that in Game 162 when the Tigers lost prior to Cleveland's game finishing.
So there it was; from third place, 10.5 games out, to champions of the Central for the third time in the four years they've played since the name was changed. And they would face the Tigers again, this time in the best-of-three. Even better for the Guardians, they had the home field.
However, the month of September ended. It's October. And October is not Cleveland's ally.
Game One saw the offense nearly shut down, but Game Two was capped off by huge eighth inning that saw two home runs hit. Guardians evened it up, and looked to clinch it in Game Three, but the Tigers pounced and pounced and pounced. A 6-1 win for Detroit, capped off by a four-run seventh inning. Oh boy.
So the answer to "What Went Wrong?" is a simple one. Out of 27 innings, they only had one. Just one. Though it's actually more than that.
Only three home runs were hit by Cleveland batters in this short series. Bo Naylor, Brayan Rocchio, and George Valera. Bo Naylor ended up leading the team in RBIs with three in the series, but his homer in Game Two was the only hit they had. You know who they could have used this season? Bo's big brother, Josh Naylor. Why the hell did Cleveland let him go? He was part of that big three along with Jose Ramirez and Steven Kwan on that team. I remember watching last year's ALCS and, as a Yankees fan, being very concerned when any of those three went up to bat. That's a big bat they let go. They always seem to let go of big bats. So how did the dynamic duo perform? A combined 4-for-20. Yeah. Ramirez, the team's biggest bat, was 2-for-8, while Kwan was 2-for-12. Yikes.
And with this ousting, the drought continues for Cleveland. 77 years. 77 years since their last championship. The longest current drought in MLB, and the second longest drought in sports by one year behind the NFL's Cardinals.
So the updated bracket shows the Detroit Tigers advancing with another road Wild Card Series win. Last year, they ousted the Houston Astros, and this year, they defeated the Cleveland Guardians when it counted. The Tigers are back in the American League Division Series, and they'll face the Seattle Mariners, who have players like Julio Rodriguez, Cal Raleigh (who hit 60 home runs this season), Eugenio Suarez, and Josh Naylor. Hey, didn't I just name Josh Naylor? Oh wow! As for the Guardians, as well as the city of Cleveland, the drought marches on. For the team, they have an entire offseason to fix things. For the city, well, they can take solace in knowing that the Cavaliers will start play in about three weeks--in a wide open Eastern Conference.
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About the Creator
Clyde E. Dawkins
I'm a big sports fan, especially hockey, and I've been a fan of villainesses since I was eight! My favorite shows are The Simpsons and Family Guy, etc.
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