CLEVELAND, Ohio – José Ramírez gave the Indians something to celebrate on Wednesday, as he drove a 3-1 pitch into the night, giving the Tribe a 5-3 win over the White Sox. It was the first walk-off home run of Ramírez’s career.
The Indians’ third walk-off win of the season might’ve been their most important. The victory ended a three-game losing streak. They’ve only played 35 games (19-16), but it’s already been a wild ride.
Get used to it. Their roller coaster start to the 2019 season isn’t going to stop anytime soon. It’s the new normal for the Indians.
Think about the last five days for the Tribe. They won a nail-biter on Saturday thanks to Carlos Santana’s clutch two-run homer in the eighth inning of their 5-4 win over Seattle. That gave them an 18-13 record, which was their best start under Terry Francona.
They followed that up by losing three-straight games and scoring one run in the next 30 innings. The Indians went from being praised on Saturday night to having both local and national media wonder if they should be sellers at the trade deadline in a three-day span.
Wednesday’s win over Chicago isn’t going to change the narrative surrounding the Indians. The organization and ownership will face its’ critics after every loss.
No one should feel sorry for the Tribe. The Indians’ margin for error isn’t what it was in past seasons. That has a lot to do with their offseason. Instead of adding experienced players to help them get over the hump, the Indians cut their salary, which meant bringing in younger players.
No one expected them to be as dominant as they were in the past, but they were the favorites in the American League Central Division.
The Indians added multiple veterans who were past their prime in the offseason. Carlos Gonzalez is still a capable outfielder, but he’s not close to the All-Star he was earlier in his career. Santana is solid and got off to a great start, but he’s cooled off after a great start to the season.
Veterans like Jason Kipnis and Leonys Martin are solid players, but you can’t expect them to carry the offense.
Francisco Lindor is getting better and better after missing all of spring training and the start of the season with multiple injuries. Ramírez is showing signs of life and could be heating up at the right time.
The Indians are a good baseball team, but they have their flaws. They’re fundamentally sound, well coached and have an above average start rotation.
If you react to every bad loss, you’re going to drive yourself crazy, because there are going to be some ugly losses at Progressive Field this season. There’s also going to be plenty of great wins like the one we saw on Wednesday night.
The roller coaster just started. There will be more turns, loops, hills and corkscrews. Indians fans have no choice, but to buckle up and enjoy the ride.
