CLEVELAND, OH – The Indians are tied with the Twins for first place in the American League Central Division after Friday night’s 6-2 win.
The Tribe trailed Minnesota by 11½ games on June 2. They’ve scratched and clawed their way back.
The Indians are 41-17 since June 1, which is the best record in baseball. They’re 7-2 in the month of August and have won four straight games.
Here are some numbers that help explain their recent play:
Hot Pitching
Mike Clevinger is 6-0 in his last seven starts with a 1.83 ERA. He has 58 strikeouts in 44⅓ innings.
Sunshine has developed into the ace the Indians had hoped he would become. He didn’t allow a run in his first two starts of the season, but suffered a Teres major muscle strain that kept him off the mound for over two months. Now healthy, the 28-year-old might be the Indians’ most dominant starter.
Shane Bieber may have something to say about that last statement. The All-Star Game MVP has been great all season long for the Tribe.
Bieber is 7-2 in his last 11 starts, including two complete games and a 2.51 ERA. He’s held opponents to a .240 on-base percentage and a .543 OPS over that span.
The Indians’ two best starters pitched well in a big game. It’s a good sign, especially for two players who weren’t considered aces coming into the season. The pressure they faced over the past few night’s is exactly what they’ll have to deal with in the playoffs.
Bieber and Clevinger get the headlines, but their bullpen has been great. They’ve posted a 3.21 ERA, which is the best in baseball. They’re last in walks with 115 [best in MLB]. Players like Nick Goody, Tyler Clippard, Adam Cimber and Óliver Pérez have complimented closer Brad Hand quite nicely. Hand is second in the American League with 29 saves.
Hosey’s Back
José Ramírez was awful for the first two and a half months of the season. He posted a .198 batting average, with four home runs and 11 doubles in 66 games. The Indians remained patient with him. He’s snapped out of whatever funk he was in and has given the Tribe a much needed boost.
Ramírez has been one of the best hitters in the game since June 14, posting a .326/.369/.647 slash line. He has 12 home runs, 43 RBI and 19 doubles over that span. His average has gone up from .198 to .253. His emergence has completely transformed the Indians’ lineup.
The addition of Yasiel Puig in the cleanup spot has helped him even more. Ramírez is hitting .406 with a 1.257 OPS in nine games with Puig in the lineup. He has 13 hits over that span with nine extra base hits [seven doubles and two homers]. Ramírez enters play on Saturday with an extra base hit in eight straight games, which is a career-high.
Puig has given the Indians a lift since joining the club. He has a .333/.405/.455 slash line in nine games with the Tribe. He hasn’t hit a home run yet, but the 28-year-old has given Cleveland a legitimate cleanup hitter, which is something they’ve needed all season.
Kip’s Emergence
Jason Kipnis is playing well for the Indians. The 32-year-old is hitting .308 with nine home runs and 42 RBI in his last 49 games. The Indians are 36-13 during that stretch.
There were plenty of fans who complained about Kipnis hitting cleanup and rightfully so, but he’s a perfect fit in the bottom half of the order. If this team is going to make a run, Kipnis needs to be a big part of it.
The Indians are playing great at the right time. Is it sustainable? Can they find a way to win one more against the Twins over the next two days and then handle business against the Red Sox, Yankees and Mets?
The next few weeks will help define the 2019 season. If the first four months were any indication, it's going to be a wild ride for the Tribe.
