All season long, the Cleveland Indians have struggled at Jacobs Field playing just .500 baseball at home. The team has won at over a .600 clip on the road, and with just seven games remaining as the visiting team the Tribe needed to start playing better in Cleveland to make the playoffs.
So far, so good.
The Indians have won the first four games of an eleven game homestand, and have virtually eliminated the three time defending AL Central Division Champion Minnesota Twins in the process. Last night’s nationally televised 12-4 thumping of the Twins raised the Tribe’s record to 82-61, the third best mark in the American League. Tonight starts a new challenge, a three game set against Oakland, who trails Cleveland by 2-1/2 games in the Wild Card race.
With 19 games remaining on the schedule, Cleveland will be at home for 12 of them, including four against Kansas City to finish the current homestand. The only road games left are three with the Royals, and three more with the White Sox. This space still maintains whether or not the Tribe makes the post season will depend on how they fare against the Pale Hose in the six games left.
Meanwhile, Cleveland’s nearest persuer, the Yankees have just seven home games left, and have to play 13 more road games. New York is roughly a .500 ballclub on the road in 2005, and they start a big three game series at Tampa Bay tomorrow. Of course, everyone by now has read that the Bronx Bombers are just 5-11 versus the Devil Rays this year. And New York still has a three game series at Fenway Park on the last weekend of the season. I’m sure the Sox would like nothing better than to knock Steinbrenner’s crew out of the playoffs.
Cleveland has won 32 of its last 45 games, but there is no room for a letdown now. Manager Eric Wedge keeps preaching the importance of winning series, and if the Tribe continues doing that, they will be playing in October.
The pitching continues to be incredible allowing more than four runs in a game just four times since August 13th. It’s a lot easier to put together this type of streak when you don’t need to score eight runs to win a game.
Tighten your seat belts, Indians’ fans! It promises to be exciting right down to game 162.
MW
Cleveland Sports Perspective 