Cleveland @ Minnesota preview
Target Field
Last Meeting ( Apr 21, 2010 ) Cleveland 0, Minnesota 6
Sooner or later, the Cleveland Indians will have to start hitting. By all accounts, it’s going to be later. Much later.
The Indians enter Thursday’s game against Minnesota with only two regulars batting above .240: Asdrubal Cabrera and Shin-Soo Choo. The rest of the lineup makes you wonder how the Indians have even won six games this season.
Grady Sizemore .191. Travis Hafner .234. Jhonny Peralta .140. Matt LaPorta .200. Luis Valbuena .171. Lou Marson .080.
That doesn’t even count the recently demoted Michael Brantley, who was batting .156 in nine games.
In the Indians’ defense, Minnesota’s pitching has handcuffed them the last two days. Starters Kevin Slowey and Francisco Liriano combined to allow one run in 16 innings as Cleveland continues to fumble through April.
Tribe manager Manny Acta has few other options. Veteran outfielder Austin Kearns started on Wednesday and could see more time simply for hitting .333 in 21 at-bats. Backup catcher Mike Redmond, at .190, isn’t faring any better than Marson and backup infielder Mark Grudzielanek is 39 and missed all of last season to injury. A full season’s worth of at-bats doesn’t seem wise at this stage.
Cleveland’s top prospect, catcher Carlos Santana, began Wednesday seventh in the International League with a .364 batting average, but it’s awfully early to start panicking and rushing him to the majors.
The Indians have scored more than three runs just five times this season and four of those have come against the White Sox. Perhaps the most alarming part is Sizemore is the only player assured of improving.
Hafner has been a shell of his former self the last three years. Peralta has steadily regressed the last two years. LaPorta, Valbuena and Marson are unproven youngsters in their first full season in the majors.
The news is much brighter for the Twins, who continue to dominate in their new home. Minnesota has won each of its first three series at Target Field and enters Thursday’s series finale 6-2 in its new home.
How good has Twins pitching been?
Thursday’s starter, staff ace Scott Baker, only has the third-best ERA among starters at 3.38. Baker has won his last two starts, allowing three runs in a combined 14 innings in victories over the White Sox and Royals. Already this season, Minnesota is 6-2 against the Central Division.