The Cleveland Indians baseball team is something to behold right now. Earlier this season, everyone seemed ready to pounce on the Indians for a lackluster performance out of the gates in 2017. The team wasn’t hitting, especially in the clutch, and the pitching was merely ordinary (and downright terrible if your name is Trevor Bauer).
I was never worried. Summer was coming.
Summer, my friends and readers, is here, and so are the Indians. Since the end of July this team has gone on an unholy tear. Since they started their 9-game winning streak to close out July, the Indians are 31-11. They’ve done this without Andrew Miller (mostly), without Michael Brantley (mostly), without Jason Kipnis (mostly), and without Danny Salazar (mostly). They’ve done it with pitching, they’ve done it with hitting, and they’ve done it with fielding. The Indians, simply put, are playing the best baseball I’ve ever seen, and they’re not even healthy.
Saturday’s game felt like a formality, and it was. Kluber was great again, twirling 8 innings of 1-run ball, and that 1-run came on an overturned call via replay review. The offense jumped on Jordan Zimmerman in the first inning, bludgeoning him with 4 runs, and the game was basically over before the Tigers picked up their bats. Even the broadcast booth was talking about how a 4 and a 5-run lead just felt like so much more. There was no chance that the Indians were going to lose this game.
It was a lot of fun. It’s been a lot of fun.
The Indians go for the sweep of the Tigers tomorrow. Josh Tomlin makes his return to the hill. I won’t say anything bad, I’m going to go ahead and give him a chance.
First pitch: 1:00pm Eastern Standard Time
If the BWAA cheats Kluber out of the Cy Young and gives it to Sale just because he pitches on in a big market on the East Coast, I’m going to be irate. I thought Kluber deserved it last year–he has definitely earned it this year!
I think it is Kluber’s to win in September. I wonder if Tito goes back to a 6 man rotation, if that will hurt kluber’s chances?
It might–the only category Sale has a true edge in us innings pitched. But if a six-man rotation gives us a rested pitching staff for the playoffs, I’ll take it.
agreed, but I think Kluber deserves the recognition. He has to be the most valuable player per dollar in MLB
Completely concur. And his dominance seems ignored by much of the sports media, unlike Kershaw, Sale, and Scherzer. It’s very odd how much he is ignored or just taken for granted.
Sale getting roughed up again by a contender will certainly help Kluber’s case! Go Tribe and Keep the Chief!