With all of the hand wringing about the Indians losing the first two games of a four game set against the Yankees, the team remains just one game out of a playoff spot heading into the last game prior to the All Star break. The biggest question in whether or not the Tribe can make the post season is can they start to win at home.
Only the Red Sox have played more road games in the American League than the Indians, and only the White Sox have won more road games. However, at Jacobs Field, Cleveland has just a 21-19 record, the poorest among the contenders for the Wild Card berth.
After today, the Indians will have 74 games remaining, 41 of those at Jacobs Field. It is said that good teams split their road games and win at home. If a team does that, they will go 41-41 on the road. To win 90 games, which would seem to insure a playoff spot, that same team must go 49-32 at home. For the 2005 Indians to achieve that record, they will have to go 28-13 the rest of the way at Jacobs Field.
Cleveland is already finished with Boston and Los Angeles at home this season. They have only three games remaining at the Jake with Minnesota, Texas, and New York. They played seven with the White Sox, including the first fur coming out of the break. That is 16 of those 41 games. The other 25 games are against teams around or below the .500 mark.
So, it is possible to improve the home record. It is imperative to come out of the break and play well against Chicago to set a tone for the second half. Hopefully, the young Indians can take advantage of the home cooking down the home stretch of this long season.
MW
Cleveland Sports Perspective 