CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Guardians’ playoff aspirations have taken a devastating hit during a disastrous road trip that has exposed the team’s most glaring weakness: an offense that simply cannot produce runs when needed.

The numbers tell a sobering story. The Guardians have now been shut out 14 times this season, leading the American League in that dubious category and sitting second in the majors behind only the Pittsburgh Pirates. Over their most recent stretch, Cleveland has lost eight of nine games, including back-to-back shutout losses to close out a sweep at the hands of the Texas Rangers.

“They lose 10-0 on Saturday, 5-0 on Sunday and forget about the division now. Staying in contention for a wild card is really the only focus of this team,” Cleveland.com’s Paul Hoynes said on the l

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