Sasha Kaun visited Cleveland Monday; signing imminent?
August 17, 2015Browns on separate trajectories? While We’re Waiting…
August 18, 2015The Indians are working on an 11-game road trip. For the Tribe, enemy territory has been friendlier than home cooking. Their record at home is 54-62, while on the road it’s 30-28. In an Indians season full of bewildering contradictions, this away-field advantage just might beat them all. (Or is it a home field disadvantage?)
Baseball is the one sport that provides a tangible home field advantage by rule, giving the home team a last chance at-bat if needed. The home field advantage exists in all sports, but basketball and football, for instance, don’t give possession of the ball to the home team offense at the end of the game, yet in sports the home records are consistently better than road records. Here, Yogi Berra has a point about the nature, not only of baseball, but of all sports: That the game is 90 percent mental … and the other half is physical.
The Indians play the Boston Red Sox on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday this week, all with a 7:10 p.m. starting time. Following the Boston series, the Indians travel to New York for a four game series with the Yankees on Thursday and Friday at 7:05, and on Saturday and Sunday at 1:05.
The 52-65 Red Sox have the second-worst record in the American League (second only to the 51-68 Athletics) and they’re in last place in the AL East. If you want to know why, you won’t find the answer in the Red Sox’ offensive stats. They’re third in the American League in runs scored (behind only the Blue Jays and Yankees). They’re also third in hits, batting average and on base percentage. They even hit well, (.269) with runners in scoring position.
No, for the Red Sox, it’s the pitching stats that sound the alarm. Their 4.63 ERA is last in the AL by a frightening margin. Their starters are last with a 4.88 ERA and their relievers are 13th (out of 15) at 4.30. Their pitchers have given up more runs and earned runs than any team in the AL. Opponents are hitting .269 overall against Red Sox pitchers.
If you were wondering if the Indians would be facing Justin Masterson this series, well, no. He was designated for assignment on August 9. Masterson had nine starts and nine relief appearances in 59.1 innings with a record of 4-2 and an ERA of 5.61.
Scheduled Pitchers in Boston:
Matt Barnes vs. Danny Salazar
Eduardo Rodriguez vs. Trevor Bauer
Joe Kelly vs. Corey Kluber
The Red Sox’ AL-worst pitching staff versus an Indians’ offense that has been a major disappointment. Which will end the series feeling better about the direction they’re headed?
After the series with the Red Sox the Indians travel a short distance along the East coast in a southwesterly direction to the Bronx. The trip will take them from the last place Red Sox to the first place Yankees. The Yankees are 64-52 at the beginning of this week and are facing the visiting Twins on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. After Cleveland took two of three from the Yankees last week, the Yanks traveled to Toronto and won two of three from the Blue Jays. That left the Yanks in first place after the weekend with the Blue Jays just 1/2 game behind them.
The Yankees and Blue Jays in the AL East give the Major Leagues what looks to be the most competitive race for a divisional title, all the more intense because they’re not just battling for seed position in the playoffs, but for a playoff series instead of a do or die single-game Wild Card playoff matchup. So after the relatively quiet crowds at Fenway Park, the Indians will likely enter a more raucous pennant race environment at Yankee Stadium.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Experience a new ballpark by watching the Indians take on the Red Sox on the road. Hotels near Fenway Park can be booked in a few clicks and for the fans a little further away, Boston flights are provided on Hipmunk through most major airline carriers.
1 Comment
Is Hipmunk a sponsor or something?