This is despite Jose Ramirez, an MVP candidate in 2018, looking like a malfunctioning android at the plate. He is batting .188 with 2 homers for a 51 wRC+.
This is despite the team's heart and soul, Francisco Lindor, missing all of spring training and most of April with injuries. The shortstop only returned on April 20, and has already hit 3 home runs in eight games.
This is with an outfield so patched together that it's a daily challenge to remember who is still on the roster and who is in Triple-A. No, Oscar Mercado is not on the 25-man roster, but Jordan Luplow is.
With all of the uncertainty surrounding the team this year, for them to possess a 15-12 record at the end of April (a month the Indians historically struggle in), it's okay. It's not amazing, it's not impressive, but it's decent.
Things could be worse. Just ask Boston.
The Tribe completed a four-game set in Houston this weekend, against those pesky Astros responsible for our ignominious ALDS exit last year, and managed to split the series two games apiece. Let's go over some of the talking points from the series, some of the positives and negatives to take away from Minute Maid Park.
The Good
Trevor Bauer toed the rubber for game one of the series and continued his fine start to the season with another dominant outing and victory in a 2-1 Tribe win.
Faced against his old UCLA teammate Gerrit Cole, the pair of premier pitchers put on a pitching masterclass, but it was Bauer who came out on top. The 28 year-old worked 8 innings and gave up just 4 hits and 1 run (an early homer by George Springer). Strangely, Bauer surrendered 6 walks and struck out just 3 batters, but was able to pitch so deep into the game thanks to his ability to induce weak contact from the Houston lineup. He wasn't even experiencing difficulties with his pitches - the last two fastballs he threw clocked in at 97.1 and 97.6 mph, his fastest of the night.
Bauer has long enjoyed success against the Astros, and is one of just two active pitchers who have made nine starts against Houston without recording a loss (the other pitcher is Justin Verlander, who plays for them!)
He didn't hesitate to savor the moment either, reigniting his feud with Astros third baseman Alex Bregman on social media:
👋🏻👋🏻 @ABREG_1 #TakeItBack #RallyTogether @astros @Indians @MLBNetwork @IntentionalTalk @barstoolsports @Starting9 pic.twitter.com/koQV8vD5ph— Trevor Bauer (@BauerOutage) April 27, 2019
Bauer kept Bregman hitless and celebrated the only way Bauer knows how. For a recap of their ongoing battle, check out MLB.com's recent rundown containing all their history.
Another highlight of the series was the Indians' timely hitting - both victories in the series lent themselves to key hits at important moments.
In Bauer's game one start, the lineup provided him with limited run support but thankfully Leonys Martin and Jake Bauers each launched a solo homer to back their starter. Martin had a pair of home runs in the series and Bauers, whilst not as eye-catching as Yandy Diaz perhaps (the man he was traded for), is developing into a considerable presence at the plate. The young Bauers had a hit in every game of the series, batting 5-for-13 overall.
Clutch hitting was responsible for the Tribe's second victory as well. After starter Corey Kluber battled through 5 innings and 3 earned runs, the bullpen took over and were superb (especially Brad Hand), managing to keep them off the scoreboard for the rest of the game.
It was up to the Indians hitters to rescue the day and with the score tied in the top of the 7th inning, Tyler Naquin emerged as the unlikely hero. Naquin crushed a 95mph fastball into the gap in right-center field for a huge double, plating Greg Allen to push the Indians ahead. In the top of the 9th, Lindor put the result beyond doubt with a 2-run shot to opposite field, sealing the 6-3 victory. It was his second home run of the day, and the 101st of his career.
The Bad
Jason Kipnis began the season on the injured list but returned to the team on April 15th and played well, bringing some much-needed stability to the lineup. Kip batted .308 in his first seven games back and I for one was happy to see him out there.
Sadly that nice little run came to an abrupt end in Houston, as Kipnis went 0-for-16 against the Astros with 5 strikeouts. His average has since plummeted to .190 and the "out with Kipnis" naysayers have returned. It didn't take them long did it?
It's an incredibly small sample against one of the best teams in the league, so I think Kipnis, after his many years of service to Cleveland, deserves to be cut some slack before fans start calling for his head. The idea that Brad Miller should have been retained on the roster at Kip's expense, based purely on their April numbers, is laughable.
Kipnis certainly wasn't alone in his struggles against the Astros. Carlos Carrasco was enjoying a fine day on the mound before being stung late in the 7th inning, taking the loss in 4-1 defeat that secured Houston a split series.
Carrasco was cruising through the Astros' lineup, and had a 1-0 lead thanks to a Carlos Santana home run from the 4th inning. He ran into serious trouble in the 7th though, when a Michael Brantley (ouch) single marked the beginning of the end for the Venezuelan native.
The Astros tied the game when a Yuli Gurriel double scored Brantley, but it was the decision to intentionally walk Josh Reddick that came back to bite the Indians. Reddick was issued a free pass in favor of Robinson Chirinos and theoretically the move made some sense; Reddick entered the day with a .354 average, and Chirinos was batting .279. Terry Francona chose to attack the seemingly inferior player.
With two outs and men on first and second, Carrasco tried to muscle a low and inside fastball past Chirinos but the big Venezuelan wasn't fooled and absolutely destroyed the ball for a 3-run homer.
Carrasco was rocked and didn't recover. Two straight singles later and he was toasted; within the span of 14 pitches Carrasco's terrific performance was completely undone and the Tribe couldn't come back. The score remained 4-1 to Houston.
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The Indians move on from Texas and enjoy an off day before they take on the Marlins for a brief two game series in Miami.
Perhaps the Florida sunshine is just what this team needs.
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