Is Delly really dirty?
May 25, 2015Cavs TV ratings were bonkers for Game 3 on TNT
May 25, 2015First, a two-word summation of the three-game series against the Cincinnati Reds:
Sweet sweep!
Next come the Texas Rangers for a three-game series to finish up Cleveland’s six-game homestand.
The Indians’ current six-game winning streak began with them taking the final three games of the four played in Chicago against the White Sox on May 19-22. But the new and improved version of the Cleveland Indians actually lifted off when they took two of three from the Texas Rangers just prior to heading to Chicago. Including that May 14-16 series in Arlington, the Tribe is 8-2 in their last ten games.
Perhaps losing that series to the Indians put a spur under the saddles of the Rangers, however, because Texas has gone on an impressive tear of their own during their current road trip. First they won two of three in Boston, then they swept the Yankees in a three-game series in New York. This three-game series for the Rangers in Cleveland finishes up their nine-game road trip before they head back home to face the Red Sox.
So the Indians and Rangers meet as they’re both playing perhaps their best baseball of the season. And, once again, this series features three different starting times. Today’s Memorial Day game will begin at 4:10 p.m. ET. Tuesday evening’s start time reverts to the more standard 7:10 p.m. and then on Wednesday, getaway day, they’ll begin at 12:10 p.m. The Indians have yet to be rained out this season but there’s a decent chance of rain all three days of this series.
Starting pitchers today will be recently-promoted RHP Shaun Marcum for the Tribe (1-0, 2.31) vs. recently-promoted RHP Phil Klein (1-0, 4.50) for the Rangers. Tuesday evening it will be RHP Danny Salazar (5-1, 3.50) vs. LHP Wandy Rodriguez (2-2, 3.38) and on Wednesday it will be RHP Carlos Carrasco (5-4, 4.74) vs. RHP Colby Lewis (4-2, 3.49).
Today’s start for Shaun Marcum will be his second for the Indians, his first coming against the White Sox in Chicago on May 20 when he went 6⅔ innings and gave up only four hits and two runs (both on solo home runs). Marcum is obviously trying to provide some much-needed stability for the fifth starter position.
Likewise, today’s Texas starter, Phil Klein, gets his second start. Klein is a native Ohioan. He attended Lincoln High School in Gahanna and Youngstown State University. He’s a big guy, 6-7, 260. The Rangers drafted him out of YSU in the 30th round of the 2011 MLB draft. Until last week his only major league experience was in relief: 17 games in 2014 and six in 2015, and he wasn’t all that impressive. But the Rangers surprised him on April 14 by sending him down to AAA with the goal of turning him into a starter and on Wednesday, May 20 in Boston, in his first major league start, Klein was impressive. He went 5⅓ innings, giving up only one run on five hits and getting the win.
Danny Salazar faced the Rangers back on May 16 when Colby Lewis took the hill for the Rangers … and neither was very impressive. Salazar went 4⅔ innings, giving up seven runs (five earned) on nine hits. Lewis wasn’t any better, giving up six runs (five earned) on seven hits in five innings.
Wandy Rodriguez faced the Indians back on May 15, the day Bruce Chen pitched his final game as a major leaguer. Chen got hammered early and rode off into the sunset after only 2⅓ innings, but Rodriguez didn’t fare any better. He went only 4⅔ innings, gave up eight hits and five runs and was charged with the loss.
But, as we know, baseball is a funny game. Just when a pitcher doesn’t seem to be able to get his best pitch past his grandmother, he can turn it around and look like a world beater in his next outing. Against Boston on May 21, Rodriguez came back with an excellent outing in a 3-1 victory over the Red Sox. During their current streak of good baseball the Rangers won two games over the Red Sox by scores of 2-1 and 3-1. But in sweeping the Yankees, they won by scores of 10-9, 15-4 and 5-2.
The Indians and Rangers, in the month of May, are both showing why they’ve been successful of late. Offensively, in May, Texas leads the AL with a .277 team batting average and in runs scored, with 121. The Indians are fourth in the AL in both categories, with a .265 team batting average and 107 runs scored.
Jason Kipnis continues his white-hot streak. For an extended period, he’s looked like the best leadoff hitter in the game. What a transformation this has been for him! Carlos Santana, as of late, is adding some hits to his walks. Michael Brantley has been joined by Brandon Moss in the thunder department. David Murphy, already having a solid season at the plate with a .330 batting average, has gotten even hotter. He’s hitting .400 in the last week. Mike Aviles, at .324 for the season, is the hottest hitter over the past seven days at .438. Lonnie Chisenhall (in a season-long slump) may get some additional rest if Aviles continues his hot hitting. And there’s more good news in the Yan Gomes department. He caught on Sunday and will be working his way back into a full-time role. Welcome back!
During the Indians’ recent 8-2 record over their last ten games, the Indians are doing a number of things well … or at least better. In the month of May and, particularly in the last seven games, the Indians pitching staff is picking up steam. While Bryan Shaw and Scott Atchison have not fared well and Cody Allen has had some nervous moments, every other pitcher is rounding into the kind of form we expected much earlier than mid-to-late May.
Overall, it’s an interesting matchup, the Indians vs. the Rangers, just when both teams are enjoying a surge of success and hopeful expectations. Add to that, Tuesday evening’s game will have the added drama of a Cleveland Cavaliers game being played right next door, in anticipation of a four-game sweep of the Atlanta Hawks.
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