Cleveland Guardians Pitching Staff Gives Up 13 Runs in Sunday Night Loss to Braves

The Cleveland Guardians' pitching staff has given up more than 10 runs in a game just twice in the 2026 campaign.

And unfortunately, both of those games have come in the last three days.

On Friday, April 10, the Guardians dropped the series opener to the Atlanta Braves, 11-5, but responded the following day on Saturday, beating the Braves, 6-0. While it seemed like Cleveland was back on track and looking to piece together a few more wins, Sunday hit, and the pitching staff fell apart again, giving up a total of 13 runs in a 12-run loss.

Starting pitcher Tanner Bibee, who has had a few strugglesome starts this season, pitched through 4.2 innings, giving up 11 hits, one walk, eight earned runs and one home run. He did strikeout four batters, but the surplus of runs allowed put the game completely out of reach.

“It just felt like Tanner really never got into a rhythm," Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said postgame. "You know, I thought he got himself into a jam there in the first, but wiggled his way out. And then just seemed like he was having trouble really landing everything… the changeup… just one of those nights where Tanner didn't have his best stuff.“

#Guardians manager Stepehen Vogt on Tanner Bibee’s night:
“It just felt like Tanner really never got into a rhythm. You know, I thought he got himself into a jam there in the first but wiggled his way out. And then just seemed like he was having trouble really landing…
— Mason Horodyski (@MasonHorodyski) April 13, 2026

His season ERA has dropped to 6.38, the worst mark of any Guardians starting pitcher. His WHIP is currently sitting at 1.64 and his batting average against has jumped to .316.

While early-season bumps are expected, Bibee's lack of command and tendency to drop a pitch right down the heart of the zone and allow a home run is causing concern. He is currently tied for sixth in home runs given up in all of MLB.

Unfortunately, even after Bibee was taken out of the game, Cleveland's next arm wasn't able to do much better.

They turned to Kolby Allard, who made his fourth appearance of the campaign.

He allowed eight hits, one walk and five earned runs in 3.0 innings pitched. With his lackluster production against a really strong Braves lineup, his season ERA jumped to 10.38, with his WHIP moving to 2.19 and his batting average against to .390.

With the Guardians preparing to return Hunter Gaddis from the injured list in the coming days, there's a chance that the front office decides to move on from Allard as a member of the big leagues and give his spot to Gaddis.

Although Allard hasn't been given a plethora of chances, he hasn't shown enough yet to warrant long-term trust from Cleveland. There are others in the bullpen who have struggled as of late, but Allard seems to be the obvious choice when the team needs to free up room for Gaddis.

The Bats Got Moving Again

Outside of the play on the mound, the Guardians were able to get productivity from the plate again.

Batting in the No. 2 spot in the lineup, rookie outfielder Chase DeLauter cranked two hits, singling and doubling. He was also able to draw a walk.

With 50 at-bats now on the 2026 campaign, DeLauter's slashing line comes in at .300/.379/.680 with an OPS over 1.000. His double count has jumped to four. He's currently looking like Cleveland's most reliable bat.

Alongside DeLuater, the Guardians were able to see a bit of power from right-handed veteran Rhys Hoskins, who crushed a 413-foot solo home run in the top of the sixth inning. Daniel Schneemann also had a really strong night at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two doubles.

Other hits came from José Ramírez, David Fry and Kyle Manzardo.

While Cleveland will likely want to forget about it's two worst pitching performances of 2026, the coaching staff and front office will have to evaluate what went wrong and how they can fix the mistakes before they become long-term issues.

The Guardians are next set to take on the St. Louis Cardinals for a three-game series beginning on Monday, April 13, at 7:45 p.m. EST.