Is The Cleveland Guardians' Bullpen Finally Starting To Crack?

All season long, the Cleveland Guardians have had the best bullpen in baseball, and it has been the primary reason why the Guardians own the league's best record.

It's why Cleveland's horrendous starting pitching has been mitigated, and it's also why the Guardians' inconsistent offensive production has not been as big of a deal as it should be.

But is Cleveland's bullpen finally starting to crack?

The Guardians have lost three games in a row, and in the last two defeats, their bullpen has given up a combined nine runs.

At this point, Cleveland fans have come to expect one of the club's starting pitchers getting shelled or the offense struggling to put runs on the board. But the bullpen giving up runs or even surrendering leads? Unheard of!

But that's exactly what has happened the last couple of games.

Of course, it could be nothing more than blip on the radar. A bullpen is allowed to have two bad days, and it certainly doesn't erase four-plus months worth of work.

However, one legitimately has to wonder if all the covering the Guardians' relievers have done for the starting rotation over the course of the season is finally taking its toll.

Cleveland's starting pitchers have registered just 30 quality starts this year, which ranks 27th in the majors. This has put tremendous strain on the Guardians' bullpen, and while it has been talented enough to hold up thus far, fatigue could be setting in during the dog days of summer.

What's more, the Minnesota Twins are suddenly closing in on Cleveland in the AL Central. The Guardians' lead over the Twins has shrunk to three-and-a-half games with ample time remaining, and Cleveland will head on the road to battle Minnesota in a four-game set beginning Friday (that includes a doubleheader on the opening day of the series).

The Guardians didn't add another relief pitcher at the trade deadline, and you can understand why. After all, Cleveland's bullpen boasts a 2.65 ERA this season. But when you take into account the amount of innings Guardians relievers have thrown in 2024, you may come to the conclusion that acquiring another arm for the pen may have been a good idea.

On top of that, Cleveland is relying on two starters who have not thrown a pitch all season—Matthew Boyd and Alex Cobb—to save the rotation. That doesn't exactly sound like a recipe for success, and with the bullpen teetering on exhaustion, the Guardians may be biting off more than they can chew.

Cleveland appeared to be rolling. It had won five straight games and seemed to be pulling away. But this recent three-game skid—coupled with a five-game winning streak by the Twins—has resulted in alarm bells sounding in the AL Central.

The Guardians have clearly been the best team in the division all year, and much of that has been due to the strength of their bullpen. If that ends up becoming a problem down the stretch, Cleveland is going to be in a world of trouble.

At this point, the Guardians can't even think about a World Series. They have to hold off the Twins first, and if their relief pitching continues to falter, the lights may go out at Progressive Field much earlier than everyone was anticipating.