Tag: wild card race

Upcoming Schedule Is Tribe’s Friend

The Cleveland Indians starting rotation took another blow yesterday when it was announced that Carlos Carrasco, one of baseball’s best starting pitchers over the past four seasons, has a blood disorder and will be out indefinitely.

First of all, let’s all hope the illness is not serious and Carrasco will make a full recovery.

His absence gets added to fellow starters Corey Kluber (broken arm) and Mike Clevinger (shoulder/back muscle issue), and turns the strength of the team into a mess.

The only starters now remaining from the beginning of the season are Trevor Bauer and Shane Bieber, who might be the Tribe’s best starting pitcher this year with a 3.57 ERA in 13 appearances.

However, Carrasco’s not being with the team doesn’t change our stance on the future of the 2019 season for the Cleveland Indians.

As of today, while it is true the Tribe is 10.5 games out of the lead in the AL Central, they are only two games out of the second wild card spot.

Until they mathematically fall further behind any chance of a post-season spot, we have a problem giving up on a season.

Can you imagine how excited an Indians’ fan in the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s would have been had the Tribe been a game out of a playoff spot in early June?

If you were around then, you are probably like us and think cashing in the season at this point is simply ludicrous.

We guess fans have gotten spoiled since Jacobs Field/Progressive Field opened up 25 years ago.

After this weekend’s series against the Yankees, here is who the Tribe plays until the All Star break on July 8th:

June 11th and 12th:  Cincinnati (28-32)
June 14th-16th:  Detroit (23-35)
June 17th-20th:  Texas (31-28)
June 21st-23rd:  Detroit again
June 24th-26th:  Kansas City (19-42)
June 28th-30th:  Baltimore (19-42)
July 2nd-4th:  Kansas City again
July 6th and 7th:  Cincinnati again

As you can see, Texas is the only above .500 team Cleveland will play over a four week stretch, and only the Reds are close to the break even mark.

Yes, we know the Indians have struggled against some bad teams (KC and Miami most notably) this season, but wouldn’t you bank on making up some ground in the standings before the Midsummer Classic?

Even after the break, there are five games the rest of July with Minnesota and Houston, but the balance of the schedule is more of the Tigers, Royals, and Blue Jays.

We haven’t changed our mind about dealing Trevor Bauer either.  As we said a few days ago, a deal like that could save the 2019 season, if you can acquire some hitting.

The pitching could be good enough with Bieber and the hopefully soon return of Clevinger, and maybe the Tribe caught some lightning in a bottle with Zack Plesac.

Another good thing about the upcoming schedule is four off days between now the the All Star Game, which could minimize the need for a fifth starter.

We understand the Indians have had issues with some of the bottom teams in the league this year, but if they can start playing a little better, getting a little more offense, they have a good opportunity to make up some ground.

Soon, the schedule will be the Indians’ friend.  That’s a good enough reason to not start looking toward 2020.

MW

Tribe Needs A Fast Start to Second Half

With the second half of the baseball season picking up on Friday night in Cincinnati, here are the standings that any Cleveland Indians’ fans should be worried about.

Houston         49-42        —-
Tampa Bay    46-45         3
Baltimore       44-44         3.5
Detroit           44-44          3.5
Toronto         45-46          4
Texas            42-46         5.5
CLEVELAND 42-46        5.5
Chicago         41-45        5.5
Boston           42-47         6

Those are the standings for the second wild card spot.  And really, since the Twins are a game ahead of Houston, the Tribe is 6-1/2 games behind for a chance to host a wild card game.

That’s a more optimistic viewpoint than looking at the 11 game deficit facing Terry Francona’s team to win the American League Central Division, currently led by the Kansas City Royals.

The entire league is kind of in the same predicament, with the standing very bunched and no one truly out of the chase for the post-season.

And with the second half schedule starting out with three teams currently below the break even mark, starting with three in Cincinnati, two in Milwaukee, and then four at home against the White Sox, this is the time, if the Indians can make a move, to indeed gather some wins.

The question is, do these have the horses to put together a winning streak?

Certainly, they have the starting pitching.  Although it is doubtful that Cody Anderson can continue to pitch like he has thus far, mostly because opposing hitters are hitting .189 against him, and he’s not striking out many, right now, every night Cleveland takes the field, their pitcher has the ability to throw a shutout.

And based on what happened last season from August 1st through the end of the season, Corey Kluber and Carlos Carrasco are capable of being even better than they have pitched so far this season, and Trevor Bauer is definitely better than he was a year ago.

So, there is some history on Cleveland’s side.

But, the front office needs to improve the offense, and we aren’t talking about banking on a big second half from Carlos Santana and/or Brandon Moss, nor a healthy Nick Swisher bolstering the hitting.  The need to bring in a bat, either from the minors or via a trade.

The Tribe also needs to bolster the bench by simply adding an extra player, because the way the starters are going right now, there is no need for Cleveland to carry eight relief pitchers.

Jeff Manship appeared in one game last week.  Ryan Webb appeared in one game last week.  And Kyle Crockett, just called up to replace Nick Hagadone, who went on the disabled list, pitched once last week.  This proves there is no need to carry an extra guy in the bullpen.

Adding another position player, preferably someone else who can play centerfield, would provide a possible platoon partner for Michael Bourn (not going to beat that dead horse) who is not Michael Brantley.  Brantley’s defense in CF has declined, perhaps because of his back injury, and that added stress seems to have affected his hitting, which the Indians cannot afford.

And if the starters get beat up in consecutive games, you can always go back to Columbus and call up a fresh arm.  That’s what most big league teams do.

However, if the Indians are going to contend this season, they have to hit the ground running starting on Friday night.  They cannot have another two or three weeks where they tread water and hope to have a shot.

Here’s hoping everyone in the organization has a sense of urgency.

MW