The Cleveland Indians far more resembled the team that they have been expected to be, and not the team that they have been, over this past weekend in rolling over the Toronto Blue Jays in a three-game home sweep at Progressive Field. In a third straight matchup against a last place team, the Indians finally came away victorious more often than not, taking all three from the struggling American League East squad after posting a 1-5 record against two other last place teams, the Oakland Athletics and the San Francisco Giants, in the Tribe’s first two series after the All-Star break.

The Indians (51-45) will look to continue their much better hot stretch on Monday night as they host a one-game makeup session with the Cincinnati Reds to complete their earlier home-and-home matchup with their in-state rivals. The May 25 contest was rained out, forcing the Indians to forgo Monday’s originally scheduled off day.

The Reds (41-57) started the year well, going 7-2 out of the gates before the bottom fell out. They dropped eleven of their next 14 and suffered a seven-game losing streak in May and a separate nine-gamer in June to knock them well off course. A walk-off win last Wednesday was the only thing to prevent them from a second nine-game losing skid this season. They went 2-8 on their just-completed homestand against Washington, Arizona, and Miami, with a win on Sunday against the Marlins helping the club avoid a sweep.

Cincinnati will likely look a little different and a little younger in a week with the rapidly approaching trade deadline. Well on the outside of the National League Central playoff picture, Ohio’s National League representative finds itself ten and a half games in back of the first place Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers. The wild card race is even further out of reach, as it is 15 games in back of Arizona for the second spot.

PITCHING PROBABLES and NOTES

Monday, 7/24, 7:10 PM ET – RHP Tim Adleman (5-7, 4.96 ERA) vs. RHP Josh Tomlin (6-9, 5.74)

It was a no-decision for Adleman his last time out against Arizona, when he made it through six innings for the first time in more than a month while matching a career-high seven strikeouts. He has been prone to the long ball of late, as he has given up at least one home run in each of his last ten outings on the mound. The 29-year-old second-year right-hander has taken the loss in five of his last seven starts. It will be his first career start at Progressive Field and the second start of his career against the Indians. He lasted three and one-third inning in his lone career outing against them last season before leaving with an injury.

The 32-year-old Tomlin has been better of late. He has made back-to-back quality starts while posting consecutive wins for the Tribe for the first time this season. He went seven and one-third innings his last time out, limiting the San Francisco Giants to three runs on six hits with no walks, no homers, and five strikeouts. In his previous start, also an interleague outing, he held the San Diego Padres to two runs on four hits with no walks, no homers, and six strikeouts in seven-plus innings of work. He has won each of his last three interleague starts and is now 10-5 in 19 interleague appearances. That mark includes a 2-3 record in six outings against Cincinnati.

BROADCAST INFORMATION

TV  – Fox Sports SportsTime Ohio; Fox Sports Ohio (Cincinnati viewing area)
Radio – Cleveland Indians Radio Network; Newsradio 700 WLW (Cincinnati)

TRANSACTIONS

Cleveland:
Cody Anderson (SP) – 60-day disabled list (4/2) – right elbow surgery
Lonnie Chisenhall (RF) – 10-day disabled list (7/9) – right calf strain
Austin Jackson (OF) – 10-day disabled list (6/27) – left quad sprain; on rehab assignment
Jason Kipnis (2B) – 10-day disabled list (7/9) – right hamstring strain
Boone Logan (RP) – 10-day disabled list (7/20) – left lat muscle
Ryan Merritt (P) – optioned to Triple-A Columbus (7/22)

Cincinnati:
Bronson Arroyo (SP) – 60-day disabled list (6/19) – right shoulder strain; likely career-ending
Anthony DeSclafani (P) – 60-day disabled list (4/2) – UCL sprain in right elbow; on rehab assignment
Scott Feldman (SP) – 10-day disabled list (July 18) – right knee inflammation
Brandon Finnegan (SP) – 60-day disabled list (6/28) – recovery from July 2017 right shoulder surgery
Nefi Ogando (RP) – 60-day disabled list (3/30) – right thumb injury; shoulder inflammation
Robert Stephenson (P) – recalled from Triple-A Louisville (7/22)
Nick Travieso (P) – 60-day disabled list (4/2) – recovery from June 2017 right shoulder surgery; likely out for season

AL CENTRAL STANDINGS

LAST TIME

The Indians and Reds split at Great American Ball Park in May at the front end of the home-and-home set between the two clubs.

Tomlin lost a 5-1 decision on May 22 and the Indians tried to give the Reds a second win in the Cincinnati finale when Bryan Shaw gave up a seventh inning RBI-single to Adam Duvall before a three-run homer by Eugenio Suarez tied the game. The Indians would plate the go-ahead run in the top of the eighth on a wild pitch by Drew Storen that scored Edwin Encarnacion, giving Cleveland an 8-7 win.

The next night, there were more late inning dramatics, but these went against the Indians. Cody Allen allowed two runs in the ninth for his first blown save and a loss, as a double play call was overturned at first base and the next batter, Zack Cozart, drove in a pair with a single to left with the bonus out. The Indians threatened against Reds closer Raisel Iglesias in the bottom of the ninth, but stranded runners on the corners in the 4-3 loss.

HANGING THEM UP?

The right-handed Arroyo, 40, has made all the statements that would indicate that his outing on June 18 against the Los Angeles Dodgers included the final pitch of his professional career.

A third round pick in the 1995 draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates, Arroyo began his Major League career in June of 2000. He has worked in parts of 16 seasons, including an All-Star campaign with the Reds in his first season with the club in 2006 after playing previously with the Pirates and the Boston Red Sox. The latter years of his career had been decimated by injuries, as he missed part of the 2014 season (while with Arizona) and all of 2015 and 2016 while dealing with right elbow and shoulder issues. The same elbow and shoulder woes have lingered and likely ended his career last month. He entered the season as the fifth-oldest player in the senior circuit and the sixth in MLB.

The high-kicking starter went 5-6 against the Indians in eleven career outings with a 5.40 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP. His success was front-loaded in his career, as he had lost each of his last four starts against the Tribe.

REDS BY THE NUMBERS

Members of the Reds roster have combined to hit .310 against Tomlin in his career.

The All-Star shortstop Cozart has done the most damage, going 7-for-14 (.500) with two doubles and a triple. He has remained a weapon in the Reds’ lineup to start the second half, hitting .346 with a .500 on-base percentage in eight games. Of his nine hits, five have been for extra bases (two doubles, a triple, and two home runs), and he has drawn nearly as many walks (eight) as hits in that span.

Joey Votto is 4-for-14 in his career against Tomlin, but all four hits have been for extra bases (two doubles, two homers). He leads the club with five RBI against the Tribe right-hander. He has slumped badly since the break, registering four singles and one RBI in 33 at bats over ten games. He has paired his .121 average in that span with nine walks for a more respectable .310 OBP.

Billy Hamilton has three hits (two singles, one double) in ten plate appearances against Tomlin, but has struck out three times. He is hitting .400 since the All-Star break with two doubles, a triple, and five stolen bases.

Tucker Barnhart has two hits, including a double, off of Tomlin. Scott Schebler has one hit, but it was a solo home run. Both are hitting below the Mendoza line since the All-Star festivities – Barnhart has five hits (including a homer) with a .192 average in eight games and Schebler has struck out ten times with just two hits in 28 at bats (.071 average) in ten games.

Scooter Gennett, who homered four times in a game earlier this season, has driven in a club-high ten runs since the break while hitting .333.

INDIANS IN DEPTH

Adleman has faced just four Indians on their active roster.

Francisco Lindor has stepped to the plate twice against him and reached both time, once via a walk and another time with a single. He was 5-for-12 in the series against Toronto over the weekend, including a walk-off homer on Saturday night and a three-hit game in the finale on Sunday. He leads all Indians hitters in second-half hitting with a .361 average and a .425 on-base percentage.

Carlos Santana is 1-for-2 against Adleman with a two-run home run. Jose Ramirez has drawn a walk in two plate appearances.

Tomlin has even notched a hit against Adleman with a single last season, but that would presumably remain unchanged with the game occurring on American League soil on Monday.

Giovanny Urshela has been productive at the plate in limited opportunities of late. He has six hits in 20 at bats in the second half of the season for a .300 average.

Michael Brantley is hitting .294 since the break with ten hits in 34 at bats. That total includes a pair of doubles, his first home run on Sunday since April 30, and a team-high seven RBI for the All-Star left fielder.

ANGELS IN THE OUTFIELD

The Los Angeles Angels will make their yearly trip to Cleveland for a three-game set at Progressive Field, beginning Tuesday night. The Reds will head to Yankee Stadium for a bizarre two-game set in the span of 18 hours on Tuesday night and Wednesday afternoon.

Photo: Joe Robbins/Getty Images