The Cleveland Baseball Club was outhit by the Minnesota Twins 25-16 in their four game series which saw Cleveland lose three in a row.
The pitching staff of the Cleveland Baseball Club only allowed 10 runs over four games in Minnesota this past weekend. With that information one would think that the team at least split the series with the Twins. Well, they didn’t. Cleveland only scored 5 runs on 16 hits and lost the final three games of the series.
Cleveland’s batters combined to go 16-120 with 36 strikeouts. Minnesota went 25-117 with 41 strikeouts which isn’t great, the difference is that the Twins drove in runs. Just under one quarter of Minnesota’s hits were home runs (6) while Cleveland had three extra-base hits total (1 home run, 2 doubles). If Minnesota’s runs only came via solo homers they would have outscored Cleveland and that’s a problem.
The concern begins with the fact Minnesota’s pitching staff isn’t overpowering and should have been hit harder. Cleveland’s offense was somehow overaggressive and lethargic at the same time, letting pitches come to them but trying to hit it a mile resulting in yet another out.
With only a 60 game season (50 left), there is not enough time to sit and hope things work themselves out. There are plenty of other options in the outfield that should be given an opportunity over some of the struggling bats in the lineup currently. Right now the outfield is a complete mess. It is the nightmare scenario that if it were to happen the team could be in massive trouble. Right now it is happening and the team is indeed in trouble.
Is there an easy answer to fix this? Unfortunately not. However, certain players need to know that if they do not perform that they are in for some pine time. Perhaps that will light a fire underneath those who need it while giving others a chance to prove themselves.
