CLEVELAND, Ohio — Lately the Guardians haven’t been getting a lot of things right.

After Friday’s 5-0 loss to the Cardinals, the players called a team meeting to try and put a stop to their poor play.

It lasted for a while and when it ended, they didn’t really want to talk about what was said. As an old manager once told reporters, “If we wanted you to know, we would have invited you.”

The need to keep things quiet is understandable. But when a team is playing well, there is little reason to hold a meeting unless it’s about dividing playoff shares or handing out directions to a team party. Almost all other meetings are held when a team is losing, and the Guardians have been doing a lot of that lately.

So far the results of Friday’s gathering have not been encouraging.

On Saturday, the Guardians turned a 6-1 lead into a 9-6 loss to St. Louis.

On Sunday, they were held scoreless by the Cardinals in a 3-0 loss. It was the third time in this just completed 1-5 homestand that they’d been shutout.

The schedule offers little relief. After Monday’s off day, the Guardians go to Chicago to the play the NL Central-leading Cubs in a three-game series. The Cubs are 25-15 at Wrigley Field, while the Guards are 20-22 on the road.

Then it’s back to Progressive Field for a brief three-game series with the AL Central-leading Tigers. After Sunday’s loss, the second-place Guardians trailed Detroit by a season-high 11 1/2 games. A double-digit deficit means double trouble, especially with July right around the corner.

Then there’s a six-game trip before the All-Star Game against Houston and the White Sox. Houston, leading the AL West by 6 1/2 games, has won eight of its last 10 games against the Guardians. By the time the Guardians reach the South Side of Chicago on July 12, they might be floundering as much as the White Sox.

One thing is clear, the time for talking is over. Everybody already knows what the Guardians’ problems are. All they have to do is hit the ball, catch the ball and pitch the ball a lot better than they’ve been doing.

It’s an easy thing to write, a much harder thing to actually do.

Breakfast and trivia

After a lost homestand in which the Guardians went 1-5 against the Birds (Blue Jays and Cardinals), they need a good breakfast to refresh and rejuvenate. We’re going with scrambled eggs, sprinkled with sharp cheddar cheese, whole grain toast and a bowl of fruit.

Meanwhile, what was the Guardians’ record last year after 82 games compared to this year’s 40-42 mark?

Next

Monday: The Guardians are off Monday before traveling to Wrigley Field to play the Cubs in a three-game series starting Tuesday night.

Tuesday: RHP Gavin Williams (5-3, 3.68) vs. LHP Matthew Boyd (7-3, 2.65) at 8:05 p.m. CLEGuardians.TV, WTAM 1100, WMMS 100.7 FM and the Guardians radio network will carry the game.

Wednesday: RHP Tanner Bibee (4-8, 3.90) vs. LHP Shota Imanaga (4-2, 2.54). CLEGuardians.TV, WTAM 1100, WMMS 100.7 FM and the Guardians radio network will carry the game.

Thursday: RHP Luis Ortiz (4-9, 4.36) vs. RHP Cade Horton (3-2, 4.80) at 8:05 p.m. CLEGuardians.TV, WTAM 1100, WMMS 100.7 FM and the Guardians radio network will carry the game.

Friday: The AL Central-leading Tigers make their first visit to Progressive Field this season on Friday to open a three-game series.

Trivia answer

The Guardians after 82 games last year were 52-30 with a six-game lead in the Central.