The seemingly exhausted Indians will be returning from a much-needed one-day rest. They have lost five of their last seven games, and have allowed 20 runs in their last three.
The off should also be an added positive to their confidence in facing the Astros, who they beat in a three-game series last month, 2-1. Carlos Santana, Jose Ramirez, and Michael Brantley provided much of the offense in those games, with the Tribe going 24-for-91 overall for five homers and 13 RBIs.
As they try to do as such for the next trio of meetings, we may see those names shine again, with team hit leader and rising star Francisco Lindor (43 hits, nine HRs, .277/.337/.535), also joining in.
Headlining the defense will be Trevor Bauer (3-4, 6.92 ERA). He isn’t having the best start to a season, but do note that he’s 6-0 with a 2.61 ERA all-time against the Astros, with the batters only hitting .252 against him (31-for-123).
This team is on fire. It’s not a random reference to Alicia Keys’s song – the Astros are simply firing on all cylinders. They will enter as winners in nine of their last 10, and just smashed the Miami Marlins in a three-game sweep with a combined score of 22-4.
The potent offense did what was expected in that 10-game stretch, as they tallied 91 hits, 15 home runs, and 61 RBIs. Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa, as always, led the charge, with both batting .350 or better in the span. The duo is powering the team into ranking inside the top 4 in total hits, RBIs, and batting average.
The pitching duties, meanwhile, will be placed on the shoulders of Charlie Morton. The nine-year veteran is 5-2 with a 3.97 ERA in eight starts this season, and he has earned a win in his last four appearances. Additionally, he has 35 strikeouts in those four contests.
