The Cleveland Guardians still have questions to answer, even after their series victory over the Cincinnati Reds.
The narrative around the Cleveland Guardians over the last week has primarily revolved around the team's lackluster offense.
Cleveland's recent road trip to both Tampa Bay and Cincinnati only fueled the fire of conversations that the Guardians must improve their lineup to be true playoff contenders.
Even though some of the conversations outside the clubhouse have been more negative, Cleveland was still able to end the road trip on a high note, clinching a series victory over the Reds.
After being shut out in three of the five games of the road trip, the Guardians were finally able to string some hits together on Wednesday evening and walk away with the 6-1 victory (and the Ohio Cup).
Manager Stephen Vogt emphasized after the game just how big that win and series victory were for his squad.
"It was a huge series, especially coming off a tough weekend, tough road trip, and just really proud of the guys," said Cleveland's skipper.
"A lot of the things that we maybe struggled with on this road trip kind of came true in this last game, and some big, big at bats with runners on third less than two... really good way to finish this road trip."
Jul 28, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians third baseman José Ramírez reacts to the grand slam hit by first baseman Kyle Manzardo, during the game against the Cincinnati Reds in the first inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn ImagesVogt is correct with many of his points.
The Guardians getting a hit from Travis Bazzana with runners in scoring position and Kyle Manzardo hitting home runs in back-to-back games is a great morale boost for the dugout, especially after a few games when runs have felt impossible to come by.
Still, Cleveland's win in their final game in Cincinnati wasn't flawless. The Guardians hit .214 (3-for-14) with runners in scoring position, left 14 men on base, and two of their runners were gift-wrapped by walks from starter Brady Singer.
That follows a similar trend from this season where Cleveland just can't seem to cash in when it has runners at second or third. The Guardians' .675 OPS with RISP ranks 29th in MLB this season.
The rest of Cleveland's offensive woes have been well documented, especially over the last few weeks. After the largely difficult road trip at the plate in which the slashed .190/.265/.262, Cleveland's team OPS is down to .679, which is last in all of baseball.
The Guardians had a quick and happy flight home on Wednesday evening before opening a six-game home stand on Friday.
Ending the road trip with a victory is always a plus, but there are still questions that must be answered before Monday's trade deadline.
