Series Review: Covid shuts down Guardians and White Sox series after 2 games

Guardians end up splitting a two-game series with the White Sox

The Cleveland Guardians saw COVID raise its ugly little head and shut down the last game of a three-game series against the Chicago White Sox. While I have no proof, I suspect that the White Sox players released contaminated monkeys, Outbreak style, into the Guards’ locker room to try and slow down Josh Naylor.

Because keeping Naylor off the field is the only way to apparently slow him down.

Sarcasm aside, it’s a disappointing end to an exciting series where Naylor blew any notion that he isn’t fully recovered from his snapped leg out of the water. Without that third game, however, we have an incomplete view of the team’s performance.

Franmil Reyes fell apart, having arguably the worst 2-game streak in his career. After a Blue Jays series where he went 9-14, 3 RBI, 3 runs, 1 walk, 4 strikeouts, Reyes followed up by going 0-7, with five strikeouts and a loan, singular walk. It’s one thing to go 0-7 in two games, Jose Ramirez sometimes has a few game stretch like that. That isn’t the issue. The issue is that he’s going 0-7 with five, ugly, no-good, inning-ending strikeouts.

Zach Plesac needs to get his stuff together as he’s been struggling all year. That said, the Guardians are 15-15 after 30 games and honestly, .500 isn’t bad with how uneven the starting pitching has been. Most of their losses came in a six-game losing streak. They’ve either tied or won seven of their 10 series so far. This team is in a good place.

The big story here, however, is that multiple Guardians personnel have tested positive for COVID-19 yet again, in just three weeks. The first time it was Owen Miller, Cal Quantrill, Yu Chang, and Anthony Castro, this time it appears it was Terry Francona, several other coaches on the staff, and members of the “traveling party” who all tested positive.

The Guardians may need to call up some Triple-A coaches to get the team through the Minnesota Twins series starting Friday but who knows about that.

I think it’s time for someone call Jake Gyllenhall and John Travolta and ask about bubble suits.

Guardians end up losing one of the White Sox in the laundry

Game 1 – Guards Win (12-9)

Josh Naylor made history by becoming the first player in MLB history to hit eight RBIs in a game, starting from the 8th inning on. By this point, what else can be said about this game that hasn’t already been said. This team is just different. Being down late no longer seems like a problem. Zach Plesac has got to get better, however.

Game 2 – White Sox Win (4-1)

Franmil Reyes fell off from the Toronto series to the worst two-game span of his career, combined with him and Austin Hedges, and it’s no wonder the Guards couldn’t get anything going. Those two kept shooting the team in the foot. Cal Quantrill was uncharismatically off, but the bullpen is looking good long-term at least.

Series Standouts

Josh Naylor

5-9, 3 HRs, 9 RBI, 3 Runs, 1 Walk

Amed Rosario

6-9, 1 Run