Game Previews
Series Preview #17: Cleveland Indians (26-19) at Boston Red Sox (28-19)
May 23, 2013 | Bob TothTerry Francona returns to another city he once called home as his Cleveland Indians head to Fenway Park to take on the Boston Red Sox.
The first-place Indians (26-19) lost their first series, during the week to the Tigers, since the last time they met up with the Red Sox. They maintain a one-half game lead over Detroit in the American League Central. They are 15-6 in the month of May.
The Red Sox (28-19) fell on some hard times after their previous meeting with the Indians. After finishing the month of April at 18-8, they are a game under in the month of May at 10-11. They have lost four series this month – in Texas, versus Minnesota and Toronto at home, and in Chicago against the White Sox in their last series. After charging out of the gate in first place in the AL East, they have fallen as far as three games back and are currently in second place, one-half game back of the New York Yankees.
Series Preview #16: Detroit Tigers (23-19) at Cleveland Indians (26-17)
May 21, 2013 | Bob TothThe attention of the baseball world returns to the corner of Carnegie and Ontario in downtown Cleveland as the blazing hot Indians welcome the Detroit Tigers in for a short two-game set this week.
The Tigers (23-19) come to Cleveland a week and a half after dropping two of three against the Indians at Comerica Park. They relinquished their longest lead in the American League Central over the weekend to the Indians after losing their series against the Texas Rangers. They are 10-12 on the road this season and have a 17-18 record against all teams not named the Houston Astros.
The Indians (26-17) pushed their lead in the AL Central to two and a half games after sweeping the Seattle Mariners in a four-game series over the weekend. They have not lost a series since a sweep by Boston from April 16th to 18th. They have now won 18 of their last 22 games (since game two of the doubleheader in Kansas City) and are 21-8 since that sweep by Boston.
Series Preview #15: Seattle Mariners (20-21) at Cleveland Indians (22-17)
May 17, 2013 | Bob TothThe Seattle Mariners continue their cross-country tour with their lone stop to the shores of Lake Erie this weekend as they take on the Cleveland Indians in a four-game set.
The Mariners (20-21) pulled into second place in the American League West after a series win over the New York Yankees. They have won or split each of their last six series (five wins, one split). They still trail the division-leading Texas Rangers by seven games.
The Indians (22-17) got a much needed day off on Thursday, their last of the month, but were still able to move back into a first place tie in the AL Central, courtesy of a Detroit loss to Texas. During a 14-games-in-13-days span, the Indians were 10-4. They now begin a stretch of 20 straight games before their next day off.
Series Preview #14: Cleveland Indians (21-16) at Philadelphia Phillies (18-21)
May 14, 2013 | Bob TothThe Cleveland Indians make the rare trip to Citizens Bank Park as they conclude their short interleague season series with the Philadelphia Phillies this week. The Indians were swept in June of 2010 in the team’s only ever trip to Philadelphia to play the Phillies.
The Indians (21-16) remain one of the hottest teams in baseball. After beating up on one of the best in the West in the Oakland Athletics during the week, they took two of three from the Tigers in Detroit and split a doubleheader with the AL East-leading New York Yankees. They have won 13 of their last 16 games, including two against Philadelphia during this span. They are 6-0 in one-run games during this stretch and 10-3 on the season. They are a perfect 3-0 in extra inning games.
The Phillies (18-21) have played at both ends of the spectrum this season. They have won no more than three games in a row this season and have lost as many as four in a row once. In day games, they are batting a National League-best .281; in night games, they are hitting .232, third-worst in all of baseball. Despite the slower start than they may have expected, they have pulled within four games of the Atlanta Braves in the NL East.
Series Preview #13: New York Yankees (23-13) at Cleveland Indians (20-15)
May 13, 2013 | Bob TothPlenty has changed for the New York Yankees and the Cleveland Indians since the two teams were rained out of half of their series in early April to open the home season at Progressive Field. They return to Cleveland Monday to squeeze in a traditional doubleheader as their respective division leaders.
The Yankees (23-13) have won five straight games and have sole possession of the AL East by one full game. They came to Cleveland the first time at 2-4 and scuffling. They left town after pummeling the Indians pitching staff for 25 runs in two games before Mother Nature called mercy on the home town crowd.
The Indians (20-15) return home for a one-day layover after taking two of three from the division-leading Detroit Tigers and pulling into a tie for the top spot in the AL Central. They have won four consecutive series after splitting four with the Royals and a pair with the White Sox. The offense has come to life since they scored seven runs against the Yankees in their two defeats to them over a month ago.
Series Preview #12: Cleveland Indians (18-14) at Detroit Tigers (19-13)
May 10, 2013 | Bob TothEyes will be on the Motor City this weekend for a key American League Central matchup between the Tigers of Detroit and the Indians of Cleveland. The series will pair up the number one and two run differential teams in the AL.
The Indians (18-14) have quietly become baseball’s hottest team. After ending their six-game winning streak on Sunday, they immediately ripped off a four-game sweep of the Oakland Athletics, by no means an easy task. Respect is starting to slowly pour in nationally, as Cleveland jumped ten spots in Sports Illustrated’s MLB Power Rankings to third, the largest move of the week for any of the 30 teams in the league. Leading all of baseball in slugging percentage (.475) and home runs (49) certainly has not hurt their cause.
After winning five straight and nine of ten, the Tigers (19-13) lost a pair of close games to the Washington Nationals after weather claimed the opener of the series. They enter play against the Indians this weekend with the league’s best team batting average and on-base percentage and have two of the league’s top six hitters in Miguel Cabrera and Torii Hunter. They have the best team ERA amongst starting pitchers in the AL at 3.17.
Series Preview #11: Oakland A’s (18-14) at Cleveland Indians (14-14)
May 6, 2013 | Bob TothMajor League Baseball’s top scoring team brings its offensive show on the road to Cleveland, as the Oakland Athletics take on the upstart Indians in a four-game series this week.
The A’s (18-14) have cooled off after starting the season 12-4. While Oakland has dominated their AL West rivals, winning 13 of 16 matchups so far, they have struggled against the rest of the league. Their offense has remained productive throughout, as the team continues to be among the American League leaders this season in runs, walks, and runs batted in. They enter their series with Cleveland leading the MLB in runs scored with 171 through their first 32 games.
The Indians (14-14) saw their six-game winning streak end Sunday at the expense of Mike Pelfrey. During their winning streak, they outscored the opposition, 53-14, and had two shutouts. They were able to earn a split against Kansas City and to claim both series against Philadelphia and Minnesota during the week.
Series Preview #10: Minnesota Twins (12-12) at Cleveland Indians (12-13)
May 3, 2013 | Bob TothThe Minnesota Twins make their first of three different appearances to Progressive Field this season starting Friday evening with a three-game series against the Cleveland Indians.
The Twins pulled back to even on the season by taking the final game of their series in Detroit against the Tigers. They are in the middle of a difficult road trip between Detroit, Cleveland, and then Boston, before returning home for nine games.
The Indians’ bats are alive and well and have supplied the starting pitching, which has been much improved in recent days, with ample run support as the team resumes its current nine-game home stand. Cleveland and Minnesota will still play 16 more games against one another after the completion of this series.
Series Preview #9: Philadelphia Phillies (12-14) at Cleveland Indians (10-13)
April 30, 2013 | Bob TothInterleague play comes to Cleveland for the first time this season as the Philadelphia Phillies make a quick stop to Progressive Field for a pair of games against the Indians.
The Phillies come to town on a three game winning streak. They have played very streaky baseball so far this season – prior to their sweep of the Mets over the weekend, they dropped three of four against the Pittsburgh Pirates, split a series two games apiece with the St. Louis Cardinals, and were swept in three games by the Cincinnati Reds. They have won just three of their eight series on the season, winning two sets from the Mets and one from the Miami Marlins.
The Indians return home after a scheduled ten-game road trip that was shortened a day in Chicago due to inclement weather. Unusual heroes – Mike Aviles, Corey Kluber, Ubaldo Jimenez, and Ryan Raburn – assisted Cleveland in coming home with a winning 5-4 record on their road trip.
Both managers (Terry Francona and Charlie Manuel) will face off against the organizations they began their managerial careers with. Francona managed in Philadelphia for four years starting in 1997. Manuel led Cleveland for two and a half seasons, starting in 2000.
Series Preview #8: Cleveland Indians (8-11) at Kansas City Royals (11-8)
April 26, 2013 | Bob TothThe first place Kansas City Royals, fresh off of a split in Detroit to end an eight-game road trip, welcome the Cleveland Indians to Kauffman Stadium for a four-game wraparound series this weekend.
The Indians are on the final leg of a road trip that featured ten scheduled games in eleven days. Cleveland fell to 6-5 on the road on the season after losing their series finale against the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday afternoon.
The Indians are the last of the AL Central foes to face off against the Royals this season. Kansas City returns home for their longest home stand of the season, playing ten straight games in their friendly confines. They will play another ten-game home series in August. They are 4-2 at home this year.
Series Preview #7: Cleveland Indians (7-10) at Chicago White Sox (7-11)
April 22, 2013 | Bob TothThe Chicago White Sox continue their ten-game home stand as they welcome the Cleveland Indians into town for a three-game series.
The Indians are on a lengthy road trip of their own, as they are in the middle series of three straight road pairings. Cleveland’s bats woke up in the middle game against the Houston Astros over the weekend, ending a five game losing skid that saw the offense score just eleven runs.
Chicago has won just three of their last ten games and is in the midst of a three game losing streak of their own. They are 4-4 at home on the season but have dropped two straight games at U.S. Cellular Field.
Series Preview #6: Cleveland Indians (5-9) at Houston Astros (4-11)
April 19, 2013 | Bob TothThere is no better time than the present for the Cleveland Indians to get out of town. They head to Houston to take on the newest member of the American League, the Astros, in a three-game series starting Friday night.
The bipolar Indians team is mirroring the weather of northeast Ohio. The offense is stellar one day, hitting on all cylinders and lulling fans into a false sense of comfort before the next storm blows in and blanks the starting nine. Just as unpredictable, the starting rotation has been hit or miss (but mainly hit after hit for the opposition).
Houston may be just as happy to have a change in scenery. The Astros, sporting the AL’s longest active losing streak, dropped two of three in Los Angeles against the Angels and were swept in Oakland by the Athletics. Cleveland will be the first opponent they face outside of the AL West.
