Cleveland Guardians at Cincinnati Reds

The Ohio Cup is coming home, and the Guardians got out of Cincinnati with a series win. As bad as things have been in recent days, Cleveland ended a poor road trip on a high note. “It was a huge series, especially coming off a tough weekend, a tough road trip,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. “Just really proud of the guys.” The Guardians beat the Reds, 6-1, on Wednesday in the rubber match of a three-game series at Great American Ball Park, in which Cleveland also won the Ohio Cup for the 11th time in the past 12 seasons. The Guardians improved to 56-54 with the win, while remaining 1 1/2 games behind the first-place White Sox in the AL Central standings. The last time Cleveland had a .500 record was May 10, when it was 21-21. This trip threatened to change that, at a crucial point on the calendar with Monday's Trade Deadline looming. The Guardians were swept by the Rays over the weekend. They went 1-6 over a seven-game span entering Wednesday, during which they were shut out three times. For all the ups and downs the Guardians have had this season, whether recently or during the five-week stretch José Ramírez spent on the injured list, they have kept their head above .500. They preserved that streak in Cincinnati with their first series win post-All-Star break. “It's huge,” outfielder Steven Kwan said of the series win. “Just trying to collect those series wins and move forward. We’ve got some off-days coming up, which is going to be really nice. I think if we can manage series wins, resting, recovering, and just kind of rinse and repeat, I think we're going to be in a good spot.” That’s also reflective of the general sentiment in the Guardians' clubhouse right now. The players are taking things day by day and focused on what they can control on the field. A lot goes into any front office’s decision to buy, sell or to stand pat this time of the year. Record is just one piece of the pie. That being said, in a crowded American League postseason picture, an extended poor stretch can sway the pendulum the wrong way. The Guardians have a chance to keep the pendulum swinging in the right direction heading into the Deadline.