Overview

• Guardians ended a 21-inning scoreless stretch with a six-run fourth inning featuring homers by Kyle Manzardo and Gabriel Arias plus an RBI triple from Steven Kwan.
• Relievers Matt Festa and Tim Herrin yielded eight runs over two innings, undoing Cleveland’s offensive outburst and handing St. Louis a 9-6 lead.
• Saturday’s defeat marked Cleveland’s third straight loss and dropped the team to 40-41, its first sub-.500 record since April 9.
• Catcher Austin Hedges and manager Stephen Vogt convened a players-only meeting after Friday’s 5-0 shutout to address mental tightness and defensive lapses.
• Defensive performance has slipped to 18th in defensive runs saved from second last season, increasing pressure on roster decisions ahead of July 31’s trade deadline.