Here’s what you need to know about the Indians 4-2 victory over the Mariners Sunday.
Corey Kluber remains sharp. He went seven innings without allowing an earned run and appears to be set to be the American League ERA champ. He gave up six hits and two walks, leading to two unearned runs. Urshela and Lindor had errors.
Jason Kipnis is getting the hang of center field. He was flawless out there, although Terry Francona saw fit to replace him with Greg Allen at the end. Could Allen be in line to make the playoff roster for defense and pinch running.
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The core of the batting order remains in top form. Jose Ramirez had two hits including a homer. Edwin Encarnacion had two hits with a double.
The bullpen was perfect. Bryan Shaw and Cody Allen each had an inning with two strikeouts.
Their push for baseball’s record took a slight setback when the Dodgers beat the Giants 3-1. You just might have to travel to Los Angeles and pay exorbitant prices to see Game 7 of the World Series in person. Think of the money you will save in your living room.
In many ways the sense of anticipation and concern about “winning when it doesn’t matter” feels a bit like when the Tribe would win a bunch of Spring Training games. There’s no sense worrying about it. This season seems different from any other.