Three Positives From the Week of April 7th

Another weekend has come and gone more quickly than I’d like. As we log into our computers to start a new work week, take some time to decompress and look back on the week that was in Guardians baseball. (Oh, and get ready for that 11 am start today.)

Total Eclipse of the Park

Monday marked Cleveland’s Home Opener, and this one was a bit more special than all the years past. Not only did the Guardians open their season at home against the Chicago White Sox, they did it under the shadows of a total solar eclipse. An event that hasn’t happened since 1806 and will not happen again until 2444, this was surely the only total solar eclipse that Cleveland will see in our lifetime.

The scenes around the park were something like I’d never seen before. Players and coaches from both teams were scattered around the field with their eclipse glasses on looking towards the sky. A sold out crowd also got to experience the phenomenon from one of the coolest venues as well. With a start time pushed back to 5:10 pm to accommodate this viewing, it was easily one of the coolest days Cleveland has ever seen.

Bash Brothers Celebrate Siblings Day

Wednesday, April 10th marked National Siblings Day in America, and Josh and Bo Naylor took full advantage. Down 5-0 in the fourth inning, the Guardians knew they had some work to do. After a José Ramírez groundout to start the inning, Josh Naylor got to work. He hit a 432 foot home run against White Sox starter Erick Fedde and put Cleveland on the board.

After another groundout, Ramón Laureano was hit by a pitch and took first base. In the next at bat, Bo Naylor cut the lead to just two with a two-run home run to center field. This marked the second time that the Naylor brothers hit home runs in the same inning. Cleveland eventually pulled even and earned the 7-6 victory in 10 innings, again thanks to Bo Naylor.

Off to a Blazing Start

While the Guards had a rough weekend against the powerhouse Yankees, losing their first series of this young season, that’s not to take away from just how good they’ve been so far. Off to their best start since 2011, the team is entering Monday with a 10-5 record and leading the AL Central by half a game over the Royals.

Currently ninth in team batting average as well as the top-15 for runs scored, hits, and OPS, Cleveland is doing exactly what everyone expected them not to do this year. They are even 14th in home runs, a stat they struggled in all of last year. Even with Ramírez not yet hitting his stride, the younger guys are pulling their weight and getting the job done.