The last few days for the Cleveland Guardians have been full of blown leads, disheartening losses, and speculation surrounding the catcher position.
Mike Zunino and Cam Gallagher have struggled all season behind the plate and in the batter's box. Combine this with an overproducing catching prospect in Bo Naylor at Triple-A, and there are going to be questions asked.
But this story isn't about Zunino's struggles throughout the season. Instead, it's about a player who's looking to turn the corner after a difficult two months of baseball. Monday's win could be a small indication there's some light at the end of the tunnel.
One of the biggest critiques of Zunino's game is his defense behind the plate. He's never been the best defensive catcher, but this season has especially been one of his weaknesses.
Bu Zunion put that behind him and in the first inning of Monday's series opener with the White Sox threw out Luis Robert Jr. who was trying to steal second. Then the catcher showed off that power we've all been waiting to see.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, Cleveland just had a one-run lead over Chicago. Tight, late games have not been the Guardians' friend recently so Zunino made sure that they had a cushion.
He hit an opposite-field home run giving the team a three-run lead.
After the game, Zunino said, "You have to put your head down and put some work in sometimes and it's big for this team because I think everyone's been doing it. The bats have been swinging a little bit better and hopefully, it's something we can continue to build on."
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