José Ramírez homered, but the Guardians lost 2-1 to the Tigers on July 5, 2025. Cleveland's painful losing streak hits eight despite the blast. Read why.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
It was supposed to be a spark. When José Ramírez sent a laser into the Progressive Field seats in the first inning, snapping a personal 0-for-21 slump, it felt like maybe, just maybe, this would be the day the tide turned. Instead, it was just a single ripple in a stagnant pond, as the Cleveland Guardians fell 2-1 to the Detroit Tigers, extending their painful losing streak to eight straight games, their longest since 2021.
Over their last 10 games, the Guardians are just 1-9, hitting a paltry .190 as a team while being outscored by 30 runs.
Saturday's game felt like a script we've seen too many times during this brutal stretch. After Ramírez's solo shot gave Cleveland an early 1-0 lead, the offense went quiet. Detroit chipped away, getting solo homers from Wenceel Pérez and Zach McKinstry to take a lead they'd never relinquish. The Guardians had their chances, outhitting the Tigers 9-7. The biggest came in the eighth, when they loaded the bases with one out, only for Daniel Schneemann to ground out to end the threat. Another flicker of hope emerged in the ninth when Steven Kwan doubled with two outs, but Kyle Manzardo's groundout slammed the door shut, leaving 38,213 fans heading home with that all-too-familiar feeling of frustration.
Amid the gloom, there were a couple of bright spots. Slade Cecconi battled hard on the mound, giving the Guardians six solid innings. While he took the loss, allowing two runs, he struck out five and set a new career-high with 105 pitches, showing the kind of fight this team desperately needs. And of course, there was J-Ram. His 14th homer of the season wasn't just a run on the board; it was a massive exhale for both the superstar third baseman and the fanbase. Seeing him break that 0-for-21 skid is a crucial development. The Guardians need their leader's bat to get hot if they have any hope of pulling out of this nosedive.
It's impossible to ignore the context surrounding this slump. The Guardians' injured list reads like a potential All-Star roster. With Lane Thomas now day-to-day and key contributors like Gabriel Arias, Will Brennan, Ben Lively, and Paul Sewald sidelined, the depth is being tested to its absolute limit. That's not even mentioning the season-ending injuries to Shane Bieber and Trevor Stephan. While every team deals with injuries, the sheer volume has left Cleveland patching holes, a major factor in their slide to a 20-21 home record and 40-46 overall mark.
Eight straight losses. It's a tough pill to swallow, no matter how you slice it. The pitching is battling, but the offense simply cannot find the big hit. With the team's health in shambles and confidence at a season low, the Guardians are searching for anything to build on. Tomorrow is another day and another chance to snap the streak. They'll need more than just one swing from Ramírez; it's going to take a full team effort to finally get back in the win column and stop the bleeding.
