Having dropped two straight to the Red Sox, the Indians have dug themselves a hole in the race for home field advantage in the ALDS. But a win tonight earns them a series split against Boston—which, given the sudden rash of injuries, would still be a positive step for the Tribe.
Chris Sale takes the mound for Boston, which would scare just about any team other than the Indians. Sale has a 4.44 career ERA against the Tribe, and was roughed up for seven runs in just five innings of work earlier this season in Fenway Park.
It might feel like a fluke that the Indians have owned one of the best pitchers in the game, but there seems to be something more going on here. I’ve been working on a way to analyze matchups by grouping pitchers based on their reportoire, and the Indians as a whole seem to fare well against lefties in Sale’s category. Here’s a look at their stats from the last two seasons against everyone in Sale’s group:
Here’s a look at tonght’s lineups…
Bauer has a 1.99 ERA in 40.2 IP since July 21.
Here's how we line up behind him tonight. #RallyTogether pic.twitter.com/XVLWzZi7B7
— Cleveland Indians (@Indians) August 24, 2017
It’s #SaleDay as the #RedSox try to win third of four games vs. Indians in Cleveland. https://t.co/e6arhKnPK4 pic.twitter.com/xry20jmbO4
— Red Sox (@RedSox) August 24, 2017
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