Cleveland, OH (92.3 The Fan) – The Indians are off to a 1-2 start this season and their struggles at the plate have cost them.
The starting pitching has to carry this team. Carlos Carrasco had a poor outing on Sunday, which put the rest of the team in a tough spot.
They don’t have the horses to win many high-scoring games. The only thing worse than the Indians’ record is their performance at the plate. It's a small sample size and they're playing in the cold, but that doesn't make it any less concerning.
Let’s take a look at some of those numbers heading into Monday’s home opener:
5: The number of runs the Indians have scored this season. After getting shutout on opening day, they responded with two and three runs. They didn't score on Sunday until the eighth inning. They're tied with Cincinnati and San Francisco for the fewest runs scored this season. The Reds have only played two games.
1: The number of home runs the Indians have hit in three games. It was a beauty by Hanley Ramirez, but the lack of power in this lineup is a clear weakness. They have three extra base hits (two doubles), including the home run.
39: The number of times the Indians struck out in three games against the Twins. If this lineup isn't going to hit for power, then they need to play small ball and get runners on base. They struggled to do that all series long.
12: The number of hits Cleveland has through three games. Carlos Santana had four of them on Sunday. They're ranked 29th in total hits.
.133: This is the Indians' team batting average. They've also posted a .218 on base percentage, a .189 slugging percentage and a .407 OPS. They're dead last in Major League Baseball in all four categories.
The Indians' struggles are real and the numbers back it up. It is a small sample size, but this is what most feared going into the season. Are they just saving runs for Monday's home opener? Tribe fans are hoping that's the case.
The Indians play the White Sox on Monday at 4:10 p.m.
