Indians Salvage Series, Split With Sox

The Indians got off to a rough start in this AL Central battle against the White Sox, dropping the first two games, before roaring back to split the series with an epic walk-off and a rain-shortened victory at Progressive Field. Cleveland now sit second in the division with a 20-16 record, trailing the 23-12 Twins by 3.5 games.

The Tribe lineup made Chicago pitchers Ivan Nova and Lucas Giolito look like Cy Young contenders in the first two games of the series - the Indians were limited to just a single run over both contests, despite Nova and Giolito beginning their days with ERAs over 5.00.

The offense came alive to rescue the series though, thanks to a resurgent Jose Ramirez, who is finally starting to show signs of life after an April hibernation (.181/.281/.276 and 2 home runs, a miserable month). Ramirez's ninth inning 2-run homer in game three sealed a 5-3 victory in walk-off fashion, and the diminutive Dominican was showered with love (and everything else) at home plate by his teammates.

Jordan Luplow, recently recalled to the big club, was the hero in Thursday's final game, clubbing 2 home runs to pace the Tribe in a 5-0 win, that was cut short by rain after 5 innings.

Let's delve into the details, and look at the good and the bad from this week:

The Good

Shane Bieber has been a pillar of consistency to begin the 2019 season and was excellent yet again in his outing against Chicago in game three. Bieber has impressed in six of his seven starts this year, the only blemish being an unfortunate outing against the Braves. Outside of that, the young Californian has been outstanding.

At just 23 years-old Bieber has taken to life in a major league rotation with remarkable ease, and he was effective yet again when facing the White Sox on Wednesday.

After losing the first two games, Bieber was exactly what Cleveland needed to right the ship, pitching 6.1 innings with 6 strikeouts, scattering 8 hits for 3 runs. With his teammates still struggling to break out of their offensive slump, Bieber kept his team in the game and was rewarded late on thanks to Ramirez's walk-off homer. Bieber's excellent off-speed arsenal saw White Sox hitters regularly swing and miss and his contribution went a long way towards stopping the rot.

As we enter mid-May, Bieber has logged 43.1 innings with 48 strikeouts and currently holds a 3.32 ERA. He continues to impress with every outing but must be wary of the longball; Bieber has given up a home run in each of his last four starts (including a pair in that ill-fated Braves game). However, that doesn't detract from the progress he has shown in his sophomore season and with the Indians rotation missing Corey Kluber and Mike Clevinger, it has been a blessing that they can rely upon Bieber every fifth day.

Another member of the rotation deserves praise as well: Jefry Rodriguez, who joined Cleveland as part of the Yan Gomes trade to the Nationals, has been a revelation when called upon this year and enjoyed another confident start in game two.

The 25 year-old Rodriguez logged 6 strong innings with 6 strikeouts, giving up just 2 runs spread over 7 hits and 3 walks. The Dominican righty showed great resolve to work his way out of trouble, including a bases-loaded escape in the fourth inning. Sadly his offense couldn't back him and Rodriguez ended up taking the loss in the 2-0 defeat. Despite the disappointing final result, he has consistently shown himself to be a solid starter when called upon in each of his three appearances this season.

Terry Francona has utilized Rodriguez primarily as a spot-starter so far but I would expect to see him feature more often whilst Kluber and Clevinger remain on the injured list. Rodriguez currently sits with an 0-2 record and a 2.41 ERA, with 12 strikeouts in 18.2 innings.

To round out the good news portion of this recap, let's give Jordan Luplow a round of applause for his 2 home runs in Thursday's 5-0 win. His first blast came in the second inning, a deep shot into the left-center field bleachers, and his second homer was an opposite field effort that cleared the wall with ease in the fifth. These were Luplow's first home runs of the year, and his first with Cleveland. Luplow was sent to the minors on April 10th batting .200, but since his return on April 28th the 25 year-old has been in fine form, slashing .333/.429/.778. If he can keep this up it could go a long way towards the Indians figuring out one of the holes in their outfield.

The Bad

It's no secret that the Indians' offense has been struggling since the beginning of the season and, now into mid-May, they are still trying to find their rhythm at the plate. Cleveland are close to the bottom of the league in every major offensive category and despite splitting this series, the lineup found it awfully hard to manufacture runs.

The Tribe went 6-for-39 with runners in scoring position whilst Chicago were in town, with a total of 36 runners left on base over the four games. The inability to convert scoring opportunities was no more evident than game one, when the Tribe recorded 10 hits but only produced 1 run, a lonely Jason Kipnis RBI.

It's still too early in the season to panic about this disturbing lack of run production but we are right to be concerned. It hasn't helped that Jose Ramirez has been a shadow of his former self, and Francisco Lindor is clearly still feeling his way back to 100%. I can't help but think that this team is missing Edwin Encarnacion, Michael Brantley and Yan Gomes more than they would like to admit.

Another unfortunate outcome from the series was Trevor Bauer's uncharacteristic performance in game one's 9-1 hammering.

Bauer was hit hard over 5 innings, surrendering 10 hits for 8 runs (7 earned), including 2 homers. He did punch out 7 White Sox but it was clear that Bauer didn't have his best stuff, and was soundly beaten. It was his shortest outing of 2019 so far, and the Chicago lineup capitalized on being aggressive at the plate, routinely putting Bauer into uncomfortable situations and making the most of any pitch left over the plate.

After the game Bauer revealed to the press some examples of the social media abuse he receives on a regular basis, including death threats. It was refreshing to see one of baseball's premier pitchers speak so candidly about a topic that is at the forefront of today's society, yet doesn't appear to have a clear and obvious solution. Bauer has earned many plaudits for speaking out about this and showcasing just how vile the dark side of social media can be.

The 28 year-old has long been a figure of controversy but I have to admit, he's beginning to win me over this season, on and off the mound. His persistent antagonizing of Houston's Alex Bregman has been a tad distasteful but his YouTube content has been very enjoyable, particularly his sit-down dinner conversations with Nolan Arenado, Whit Merrifield and teammate Kipnis. If you haven't checked them out yet, I highly recommend you do.

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Tonight the Indians head west to Oakland to begin a three game set with the A's, before taking on the White Sox again in Chicago, on Monday.

Cody Anderson will get game one underway and is hoping to avoid a repeat performance like his last outing again against Seattle - the big righty couldn't get out of the first inning, allowing 4 runs on 2 hits. His opponent is Oakland's Frankie Montas, who has a 2.75 ERA through seven starts and has been the A's top pitcher thus far.

Don't Forget About Me: Leonys Martin

When the Indians acquired center fielder Leonys Martin from the Tigers on July 30 2018, it was not the type of trade deadline move many fans had hoped for. Martin’s addition to the roster was a very practical but unheralded move by the Indians and immediately addressed one of the team's biggest needs, upgrading their poor outfield defense.

Martin made a good first impression with his new team, batting .333 with two homers and four RBIs over his first 6 games. Thanks to an adjustment on his launch angle (16.2 degrees, compared to his career 10.6 degree mark), Martin was set to have more of an impact with his bat than perhaps the Indians had originally anticipated.

Just over a week into his tenure in Cleveland, Martin began to feel significant pain in his mid section and sadly would not feature for the Indians again in 2018. It was discovered that Martin had contracted a life-threatening bacterial infection in his bloodstream that attacked his internal organs and even his heart. The situation looked dire when Martin spent nearly a week in intensive care, fighting for his life. At that point, his baseball career was no longer the top priority - his health and a full recovery was of the utmost importance instead.

Thankfully, Martin and his doctors in Cleveland got the infection under control and in late November he was given the all-clear, and could begin the slow and steady rehabilitation process ahead of the 2019 season.

From almost losing his life to preparing for his ninth season in the majors, Martin has certainly experienced his fair share of drama during his brief time in Cleveland.

Now reportedly back to full fitness and with spring training on the horizon, Martin enters camp as one of the forgotten contributors on this Indians team. However, despite flying under the radar, he will be absolutely integral to the Tribe's defense, especially when you consider the uncertainty still prevalent in this outfield. His veteran presence and consistency will be depended on if he finds himself flanked in the corners by the relatively unproven duo of Jordan Luplow and Tyler Naquin. Unless the club make any more outfield signings or trades in the coming weeks, that's the situation Martin should expect come Opening Day.

Martin will be 31 years-old once the season begins so his status as Cleveland's everyday center fielder may change as the year goes on, dependent on performance, but for now he's surely penciled in as the starter. It is wise to temper our expectations with Martin though; he is returning from a pretty significant setback to his body, which may take longer to recover from than originally thought. Martin's prowess at the plate has never been his defining attribute but if he can hit to a league-average level from the bottom half of the lineup, then his overall contribution will be of immense value to the Indians, particularly when he costs just $3 million this year. His defensive contributions should validate his playing time alone.

2019 is essentially a second chance for Martin and his Indians career, after his brief and unfortunate start last August. The left-handed hitting Cuban is considered by most to be the consensus choice for the team's best outfielder, and in the absence of Michael Brantley (newly relocated to Houston), Martin will be essential if the Tribe harbor hopes of winning the AL Central for a fourth consecutive year.