The Cleveland Guardians hold a slim lead in the American League Central and will need all hands on deck to win the division.
Fresh off a series win against the Kansas City Royals, the Cleveland Guardians enter Thursday with a 2 game lead over the Minnesota Twins and Chicago White Sox. 27 games remain on their schedule including plenty of matchups against their division foes.
Beginning this weekend is the first of eight remaining matchups with Minnesota, an immediate chance for the Guardians to build their lead over the Twins. Cleveland will send Cal Quantrill, Triston McKenzie, and Shane Bieber to the mound in an effort to take the series and hopefully sweep the Twins at Target Field. This trio gives the Guardians the best chance they have to win some very crucial games as the season comes to a close.
As important as this weekend is, the most stretch from September 15th to 22nd will play the biggest factor in who wins the division. Cleveland will play the White Sox four times (once at home) and the Twins five times, including a doubleheader on the 17th. The twin bill could prove to be a challenge for the Guardians as they are down two regular starters in their rotation. Cleveland is already having to piece together their pitching staff outside the above trio making a doubleheader the least attractive matchup at this time.
The Guardians have lost seven of their last 10 games and need to rebound fast. Chicago and Minnesota have made up some ground during this stretch, but Cleveland has managed to hold on to the division lead. The time is now for the Guardians to muster up all they have got and take a division title that most did not expect them to win at the beginning of the year. Going through a gauntlet of division foes and coming out on top would be a fitting end for this season. It is not a question of talent or ability, but rather if they are able to put it together at the right time. This team has shown resilience throughout the season and it is times like this that it can shine through and result in an impressive achievement.
