They’ve been ruled out and ignored countless times already throughout the long haul that is the Major League Baseball season.
The bullpen struggled, the power hitters failed to find sweet spots, and of course, the attendance. No one was even going to the games. The fans themselves didn’t believe.
But yet, here we are in the final week of the season, and the Cleveland Indians are a few runs away from clinching a playoff spot.
As of Sept 24, the Tribe holds a one-game lead over the Texas Rangers for the second American League Wild Card spot, and trails Tampa Bay by just a game for the first spot. The remaining schedule is favorable for Cleveland: Two games at home against the Chicago White Sox and then on the road for four against Minnesota. The Indians are a league best 50-18 against sub-.500 teams this season.
Things did not always look bright for the Indians, as the first season with a revamped roster and manager Terry Francona has had its fair share of ups and downs. Cleveland had constant trouble with American League Central leader Detroit Tigers, including a four-game sweep by the Tigers inside Progressive Field when the Indians had an opportunity to take the lead in the division.
The team was a respectable 51-44 at the All Star break and hit their best hot streak of the year right after it. They swept three games with Texas and four with the White Sox and took two out of three with Miami Marlins before hosting Detroit in that dreadful four-game set.
The four-game series has been a friend to the Tribe, however, as the team has swept a remarkable six four-game sets; the most in the league since 1961. But the four-gamer with Detroit was the beginning of a large downward swing the team endured during August. The Indians lost two of three at home to the Angels before losing two of three in Oakland the following weekend. August ended with three losses in Atlanta and two in Detroit.
So, how does a team that went 12-16 in August and only beat their division leader twice all season stay in the hunt for October? It’s a simple formula actually.
The Tribe dominated against the teams they needed to easily beat. Against the White Sox, a team Cleveland traditionally struggles against, the Indians are 14-2. The club is 5-1 against Texas, wins that are paying dividends now that the teams are fighting for a playoff spot.
Cleveland’s pitching staff, despite losing ace Justin Masterson to injury, leads the AL in ERA during the month of September with a mark of 2.79. Since the All-Star break, the team is second only to Kansas City in ERA. These numbers help, considering the Tribe is No. 13 in the AL in batting average since the All-Star break. Masterson had won 14 games with a 3.52 ERA before the injury in late August, but Ubaldo Jimenez has stepped up since by posting a 3-1 record and a 1.27 ERA in his last five starts. Chris Perez has been slightly inconsistent in the bullpen, but has still accounted for 25 saves in 29 opportunities.
At the plate, center fielder Michael Brantley and second baseman Jason Kipnis have anchored the heart of the order, hitting .280 and .277, respectively. The surprise of the season has been backup catcher Yan Gomes, who has hit .294 with 10 home runs and 34 RBI in just 82 games. Outfielders Michael Bourn and Ryan Raburn have both been productive in their first season in Cleveland, as Raburn leads the Tribe with a .569 slugging percentage and Bourn is second on the roster with 23 stolen bases.
That’s not even mentioning Nick Swisher, or Carlos Santana, or Asdrubal Cabrera, who aren’t having their best seasons at the plate but have still come through when needed. On the mound, Scott Kazmir (9-9, 4.14 ERA), Zach McAllister (9-9, 3.88), and especially Corey Kluber (10-5, 3.61) are all pitching well, as is rookie phenom Danny Salazar, who has shown potential in nine career starts.
With six games left, Francona’s club doesn’t have an eight-game losing streak in June or a 4-15 record against division rival Detroit on their mind. Instead, it’s October and the playoffs. It took nearly all season, but now, I, a Cleveland fan, have faith that the Indians will make the postseason.