It’s pretty hard to be much worse offensively than what the Tribe has been over the last 25 innings of baseball. It’s even understandable if you’re not totally convinced that Edwin Encarnacion was actually grazed by Dylan Bundy‘s pitch last night.
(I was stunned that the Orioles didn’t challenge the call. Then again, Buck Showalter might just be one of those old guys a guy who plays by “The Rules.” Remember, this is a genius who wouldn’t bring his best reliever into a playoff game, because “closers close games.” He promptly drove his ship into the iceberg that night. Maybe he thinks that replays are of the Devil. And for that, we should be thankful. Because the way the Indians have been producing lately, the odds are quite high that they would not have scored at all. So, thanks Buck. We’ll take ’em any way we can get ’em.)
Basically, what I’m saying is that the offense has hung the pitching out to dry. The situational hitting has gone AWOL since the entertaining explosion of homers on Tuesday’s jubilant first night in San Juan.
The siesta is over. Time to roll.
If it doesn’t, we’re all hoping that the pitching bails them out again. Sorry for the added pressure, Sunshine.
Lineups are as follows:
Indians | Orioles | ||
SS
|
Francisco Lindor |
LF
|
Craig Gentry |
2B
|
Jason Kipnis |
DH
|
Pedro Alvarez |
3B
|
Jose Ramirez |
SS
|
Manny Machado |
LF
|
Michael Brantley |
CF
|
Adam Jones |
DH
|
Edwin Encarnacion |
1B
|
Chris Davis |
1B
|
Yonder Alonso |
3B
|
Tim Beckham |
C
|
Yan Gomes |
RF
|
Anthony Santander |
RF
|
Tyler Naquin |
C
|
Chance Sisco |
CF
|
Bradley Zimmer |
2B
|
Luis Sardinas |
SP
|
Mike Clevinger |
SP
|
Chris Tillman |