As I mentioned earlier this evening (in a Captain Obvious moment) that this was a big series, and a big week, for the Indians.  While they are in contention for both the division and one of the two wild card spots, they control their own fate in the divisional race.  Plus it’s a much less crowded field – as of tonight the Athletics, Mariners, Tigers, Yankees, and Indians were all competing for the two wild card spots, with Toronto lurking in the shadows 2.5 games behind the Indians.  The only one of those wild card competitors the Tribe will see in September is Detroit.  That means they have to cross their fingers and hope that other teams help them out by beating those three other competitors (four, if you count the Blue Jays).  However, the Indians will face the Tigers seven times in September, and will see the Royals five more times (counting tomorrow and Sunday).  If you beat up on your AL Central foes, you control your own destiny and attempt to climb atop the less crowded divisional race.  Either path is a tough road, but at least you know where you stand.

That’s one of the reasons that tonight’s 6-1 win, number 9,000 in franchise history, was so sweet.  Not only did they gain a game on first-place Kansas City, to put them 4.5 games out of first, but they did it in fairly decisive fashion.  Prior to his rain hastened departure, Danny Salazar baffled a Royals offense that had been on a hot streak lately.  He held them to zero earned runs, on just four hits, walking two.  Salazar came out to start the sixth inning, but after one pitch to Billy Butler the game was finally delayed amid the monsoon.  On the radio broadcast, Tom Hamilton was in disbelief that the umpires had yet to delay the game, and when they finally pulled the tarp he joked that it was because they were showing Noah on the scoreboard.

The bullpen maintained the shutout until Josh Tomlin entered the game in the ninth inning.  The Indians had added to their lead in the top of the ninth, and with the 6-0 score Francona chose to get Tomlin some work.  Perhaps it was just rust, perhaps he’s just hittable, but it’s one of the first times in my memory that a 6-0 game in the ninth inning started to make me a little uncomfortable and nervous.  Francona actually had to get Cody Allen up in the bullpen, before Tomlin was able to strike out Alex Gordon and get Billy Butler to ground to third to end the game.  He lost the shutout, but still preserved the rather dominant victory (there were two runners on with only one out, with a run already home before Tomlin took care of Gordon and Butler).

On the offensive side, the Indians looked sharp.  They went up 4-0 before the end of the third inning, and with the way that Salazar was pitching it was more than enough.  Carlos Santana had 3 RBI (including a two-run home run that made the score 6-0 in the ninth), while Jose Ramirez, Jason Kipnis, and Zach Walters each had an RBI.  Michael Brantley went 3 for 5, and Yan Gomes, in his first game back off of the concussion DL, went 2 for 4.  They managed to quiet the rather large Kansas City crowd early and never really let them get into the game.  I’ve been impressed by Jose Ramirez’s defense, but I’m even starting to like him hitting in two spot despite his .295 OBP.  The last week or two, he just seems to be in the midst of the action.

It’s just game one of the series, but it feels good to get off to a good start against a hot team.

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