Guardians roughed up by Twins

Things did not go well for the Cleveland Guardians in their matchup with the Minnesota Twins on Monday.

The game was essentially over by the 3rd inning as the Twins held a commanding 9-1 lead over the Guardians. This was the first start for the recently acquired starting pitcher Lucas Giolito, and he had a rather forgettable debut. Giolito allowed nine runs on seven hits while walking three in just 3 innings as his night came to an early end. This was something that should have been expected outcome, considering how familiar the Twins are with Giolito due to spending six-plus years with the Chicago White Sox.

While Sam Hentges was able to keep the Twins off the scoreboard in the 4th, Enyel De Los Santos would allow four more runs the following inning, setting up something that has not happened in 35 years.

Guardians backup catcher David Fry became the first position player to pitch 4 innings since 1988. Additionally, Fry became the first person in the pitch-tracking era to throw more than 30 pitches under 60 miles per hour, as all 64 of his pitches were below that threshold. Fry would allow seven runs on 10 hits with one walk during his time on the mound. While the overall proposition of what transpired is ridiculous, Fry's lengthy time on the mound did help save the Guardians' bullpen.

The fact that Cleveland's bullpen did not become entirely wiped out in a blowout loss and still being available for the next two games cannot be overlooked. The Guardians are now in a better position to win the next two games now that they did burn their actual relief arms in a game where they lost by double-digit runs.

The next two games against the Minnesota Twins will make or break the Cleveland Guardians season. If they can find a way to take Tuesday's and Wednesday's contests, they will trail by only four games. If they lose one or both, it will be the final nail in the coffin of this season.