CLEVELAND, OH – The Indians know they have to win out to have any realistic shot at making the playoffs this season.
Their margin of error is thinner than ever after Wednesday night’s 8-3 loss to the White Sox.
“We don’t have a lot of games left, but we have some very important games,” Shane Bieber said. “Crazier things have happened. We have to come here tomorrow and prepare like any other game and see how the cards fall.”
They enter play on Thursday with a 93-65 record. They’re 1½ games behind Tampa Bay for the final AL Wild Card spot and two games behind Oakland. They’re going to need their starting rotation to step up and play at a high level in each of the next four games if they're going to catch the Rays.
Aaron Civale will be on the mound on Thursday night. The rookie has been great in nine starts this season. Civale hasn’t allowed more than two runs his first nine career starts, which is the longest streak by an Indians player since earned runs became official. He enters with a 3-3 record and a 1.82 ERA.
Zach Plesac is scheduled to start on Friday against the Nationals. He’s another rookie who has excelled in his first season for the Tribe.
Unfortunately for the Indians, he seems to have hit a wall. The 24-year-old hasn’t made it past the fifth inning in three out of his last four starts. Cleveland is 1-3 in those games.
Rookies tend to struggle at this stage of the season. Plesac says he feels good physically and doesn't feel like he's hit any 'rookie wall.' The Indians hope he can put together one more stellar outing this season.
Adam Plutko will pitch for the Tribe on Saturday. He’s surging at the right time. The Indians have won his last four starts, including a game in Minnesota. He hasn’t allowed more than two earned runs over that span.
The Indians are hoping two rookies and an experienced right-handed in Plutko can get the job done. All three players have come up big in critical moments this season. If they can do it again, then Cleveland could put itself in position to potentially make the playoffs on the final day of the regular season.
Mike Clevinger will get the ball for the Tribe on Sunday. He’s 13-3 in 20 starts this season.
Clevinger has posted a 1.88 ERA in 15 starts since the All-Star break. The Indians are 11-4 in those games.
Quick Hook
Don’t be surprised to see a variety of pitchers out of the bullpen over the next four days. Manager Terry Francona isn’t going to have the patience he normally would with his starting rotation.
It’ll be all hands on deck for the final four games. Fans should expect to see Carlos Carrasco, Brad Hand, James Karinchak, Nick Goody, Adam Cimber and the rest of the bullpen early and often over the next four days.
How Do They Get In?
The Indians need the Rays to lose at least one of their final three games against the Blue Jays. Tampa Bay is 12-4 against Toronto this season.
If Cleveland wins out and the Rays lose one game to the Blue Jays, then the Indians would play game 163 in Tampa Bay on Monday. The winner of that game would earn a Wild Card spot.
There's a realistic possibility that Cleveland misses the playoffs, even if they win the final four games and finish with a 97-65 record.
If the Rays win their final three games, they'll be playing in October. If the Athletics win three of their final four games against the Mariners, then they'll clinch a playoff berth. Oakland is 8-7 in head-to-head matchups with Seattle this season.
The Indians would need to win their final four games and the Rays would have to lose the series against the Blue Jays for Cleveland to clinch a Wild Card spot on Sunday.
The Indians have to win out and they need the Athletics to lose two of their final four games to force game 163 in Oakland on Monday.
For a complete breakdown on tiebreaker scenarios and the potential chaos that could ensue over the next week, go here.
