CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Guardians held a players-only meeting after Friday’s 5-0 loss to the Cardinals at Progressive Field.

The players didn’t want to say what caused the meeting or what was said.

No problem there. They have a right to privacy, as catcher Austin Hedges, who called the meeting, said, “You can go ahead and say we had one, but this is our thing. It’s not for anybody else.”

One may argue that the sellout crowd of 34,787 fans who paid good money to sit through another sloppily played game with no offense should have been invited. But even in the Guardians’ expanded new clubhouse, that would have been a tight fit.

As for why the team meeting was called, well, the Guardians are 9-14 in June and averaging 2.9 runs per game.

In the last two games, they have more errors (six) than hits (three) or runs (zero). If you’re not going to call a meeting after that, well, you’re probably the Colorado Rockies.

Manager Stephen Vogt was talking to reporters after the game when the meeting started. From the questions he was getting, and the answers he was giving, it wasn’t hard to decipher the gist of the meeting.

“It’s stressful on all of us,” said Vogt, when asked about the lack of offense. “We need to score more. We need to have better at-bats.

“I think we’re all trying to be perfect right now. Whether it’s pitchers, position players, everybody is trying to be perfect. We need to relax. We need to take a step back, take a deep breath and just go play baseball.”

The Guardians, according to the Fielding Bible, are ranked 18th in defensive runs saved. They finished the 2024 season ranked second.

“The mistakes we’re making are mental; they’re not physical, they’re mental,” said Vogt. “We’re sped-up, and we just need to be better. We need to slow down, remember we’re a good baseball team, and go play.”

Luis Ortiz (4-9, 4.36) took the loss Friday, despite going seven innings in his longest start of the season. He struck out five, walked one and allowed four hits, including two homers.

He met with reporters in the interview room after the meeting was over. Asked if he agreed with Vogt’s assessment of the team, Ortiz, through interpreter/coach Agustin Rivero, said, “I agree. I feel we’re a little tight. We have to go out and give 100%, but also enjoy the game.

“It seems at times that we’re kind of thinking too much about what has happened recently, and it’s putting a little extra pressure on the guys.”

The Guardians are in second place in the American League Central at 40-40, 9 1/2 games behind Detroit. They are tied with the Angels, 1 1/2 games behind Seattle (42-39) for the third wild card spot.

The team’s downward trend in June, and trade deadline on July 31, has made it difficult to predict what path the front office will take. Will they add to the team? Or trade veterans and prepare for 2026 and beyond?

Certainly that decision will be influenced by how the Guardians play in the next few weeks.

“Not at all,” said Vogt, when asked if he felt like the season was slipping away. “I don’t know the exact standings, but I know we’re only a game or two out of a wild card spot.

“We’re still very much in this thing. There’s a long way to go. That’s why you have to play all 162. The month of June has not been our best month. It doesn’t mean July won’t be our best month and August and September even better.

“We still have 82 games to turn this thing around. This is a really talented baseball team. We’ve got a long way to go. It’s not even close to slipping away.”