Guards come 1 strike from ending skid, instead drop 10th straight

CLEVELAND -- There was no way around it for the Guardians after they watched their losing streak reach double digits. That one hurt.

“This game felt like a kick in the pants,” manager Stephen Vogt said. “It really did. Gut-wrenching. Heart-wrenching.”

The Guardians were one strike away from ending their nine-game skid on Sunday and recording their first win since June 25. Instead, a 1-0 lead gave way to a stunning 7-2 loss to the Tigers in 10 innings at Progressive Field, as Detroit completed the three-game sweep by scoring seven runs across the ninth and 10th innings.

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Cleveland has lost 10 straight games for the first time since it dropped 11 straight from July 27-Aug. 7, 2012. It has been swept in three straight series for the first time since July 27 to Aug. 5, 2012 (according to Elias).

The Guardians (40-48) are 9-22 since June 1 and have fallen to seven games back of the final AL Wild Card spot.

“The last few days we've played unbelievable baseball,” Vogt said. “We played an unbelievable baseball game today. … We have to be better. We have to be better. We’ve got to take care of the little things. That's what makes this team so great, is we take care of the little things, and we haven't been.”

In the three games prior to Sunday, the Guardians lost 1-0, 2-1 and 1-0. They were poised to win Sunday, when Detroit scored seven runs off the Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase and Cade Smith.

Clase hit Spencer Torkelson to start the ninth, and pinch-runner Zach McKinstry stole second base. He later scored on a Clase wild pitch; he spiked a 99.9 mph cutter that got through catcher Bo Naylor’s legs.

“That's a tough pitch to keep in front. It really is,” Vogt said. “It's one that needs to stay in front. It happens. It's just a tough time for it to happen. Our catchers are so good. A spiked fastball is the hardest pitch in the world to block. Just unfortunate, the timing.”

“Obviously I want to keep that one in front,” Naylor said. “It sucks to have that one get away.”

Angel Martínez doubled off Chase Lee to start the bottom of the ninth. But Nolan Jones flied out to center, Naylor grounded out to first and Daniel Schneemann lined out. Smith entered in the 10th and was charged with six runs (four earned) on five hits, including two homers.

Smith had only surrendered one career regular-season homer before Trey Sweeney and Riley Greene took him deep.

“That was a lot of quality at-bats on the road that we're searching for,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “Just rarely comes against that guy [Smith]. He's been tough on us."

The Guardians’ offense has been scuffling for over a month; entering Sunday, they had scored 79 runs since June 1, the fewest in MLB; the Royals (106) had the second fewest. Cleveland entered Sunday 4-for-44 with runners in scoring position over its skid.

When you’re struggling to that degree, every little moment counts.

“That’s where we’ve struggled: situational hitting,” Vogt said. “We have to get that job done there. We have to get him over. With where we were in the order, a bunch of lefties versus a sidearm righty, it was the right time to swing away. Just didn’t get it done, and that’s something we need to get better at. … We have to continue to work on that. It's frustrating.”