2015 NFL Draft, the first round come down, tobacco, and shame: While We’re Waiting…
May 1, 2015Getting excited by the Browns’ “boring” first round
May 1, 2015As if to emphasize the notion that it’s still early, the Cleveland Indians experimented this week with an early start time of 6:10 p.m. The result: They lost two out of three games a bit earlier than usual.
Saying it’s early is not saying much for the Indians in this young season, but that’s about as positive a spin as can be applied after twenty games. Because, right now, the Indians look like the worst team in the American League Central. They have spent nearly all of their first month of the campaign getting knocked around by the Tigers, White Sox, Twins and Royals. The Twins! After starting the season taking two of three from the Astros they haven’t won a single series. Their record is now 7-13.
The Royals looked comfortable and confident while taking care of business. They looked like a team coming off a World Series appearance, and on Monday and Tuesday, they looked even better than a year ago.
Monday night with Corey Kluber on the mound the Kansas City Royals defeated the Tribe, 6-2. But it feels worse when your Cy Young, No.1 starter gives up ten hits in 6 1/3 innings. The Indians‘ bullpen held the line after that but their offense managed only four hits and, if not for Mike Aviles’ two-run home run in the fifth inning, might have gone scoreless.
Indians’ pitcher Trevor Bauer was still not feeling well when he started Tuesday’s game. In six innings he gave up seven hits and three runs. Bauer said he felt light-headed and he did look a little distracted when he started into a full windup, and then stopped when he realized there was a runner at first. That resulted in a balk call but a short time later, with a runner still on base, he toed the rubber as if he was about to start another full windup. But he stepped back, shaking his head, as if to say, “What am I doing?”
So Trevor had that to overcome. The bullpen, however, had no such handicaps and they were pummeled. Atchison, Rzepczynski, Shaw and Swarzak gave up five hits, two walks and five runs in only three innings. Final score 11-5. And that one felt like another mauling by Tigers.
But baseball is a funny game. Sometimes, just when you think it’s time to, “move along, there’s nothing to see here,” someone flips a switch. The third game in this series was fun to watch. Danny Salazar wasn’t exactly dominant but he pitched six solid innings while his offense suddenly got competitive. The Indians won the final game of the series 7-5 behind Roberto Pérez’ 3-for-3 and Jason Kipnis’ first homer of the season, a 3-run shot.
An interesting storyline about the Royals has been their patient rebuilding over the past several years. And one player who symbolizes that patience and faith in their young players is third-baseman, Mike Moustakas. Moustakas came up in 2011 and has a career batting of .241 to-date. In 2014 he batted only .212. But the Royals stuck with him and, this year, he’s red hot. It’s early, but right now he’s batting around .350 and looks as confidant as any of his Kansas City teammates. And they all look confidant.
Next up, four games at home with the Toronto Blue Jays. Wake up, hitters, wake up. You’re gonna be late! The first one is already in the books.
3 Comments
Two is company and three is a crowd sorry to say the Indians are the third wheel in Cleveland when it comes to sports no matter how many stories their bar happens to be. Unfortunate.
Obviously you need a hockey team.
No that already failed.