The American League Central-leading Indians, who are riding a five-game wining streak (two of which were shutouts), got a well-deserved rest, as Wednesday’s meeting with the Twins got bumped to Thursday due to the rain, making it an interesting double-header.
The noon game will have Carlos Carrasco (11-5, 3.83 ERA) as the starter, while the one on the evening will feature Mike Clevinger (6-4, 3.65 ERA). Carrasco, by far, has better stats against the Twins this season, but both are coming off starts where they showcased scoreless innings.
Over on offense, there’s a short debate as to who the main man will be on the pair of games. Carlos Santana and new acquisition Jay Bruce may each have eight hits and a combined .347 batting average in the past week, but it’s the Edwin Encarnacion’s show as of late. His tremendous efficiency has him smashing five homers and seven RBIs in his last seven hits.
The postponement should also favor the Twins, as they have dropped two of their last three after winning six-straight prior. They are currently a deep wildcard team whose chances are getting slimmer with each defeat.
Like the Indians, Minny is also starting two pitchers that differ from each other in terms of performances. Game one starter Kyle Gibson is 6-9 with a god-awful 6.02 ERA, while Game two starter Jose Berrios is 10-5 with a 4.27 ERA. Additionally, the Indians are .335 opposite Gibson (69-for-206), and only .225 (15-for-68) against Berrios all-time.
The offense, meanwhile, could have plenty of key guys. Six different players are hitting .318 or better in the last seven days, and they combine for 29 RBIs. Brian Dozier and Eddie Rosario lead that pack, as they are collectively 19-for-50 in the said stretch, including four homers, 10 RBIs, and 14 runs.
Writer’s Prediction
The Indians will win the first game, and then lose the second.
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