Philadelphia @ Cleveland preview
Progressive Field
Last Meeting ( Apr 30, 2013 ) Philadelphia 2, Cleveland 14
With the way their offense has performed recently, the Cleveland Indians haven’t needed a staff ace. But on Wednesday, the Indians will face the one they traded away in Cliff Lee when they try to sweep their two-game interleague home series against the Philadelphia Phillies. The Indians have outscored their opponents 33-5 while tallying 45 hits during their three-game winning streak. Cleveland clubbed seven homers – the most by one team in any game this season – en route to a 14-2 win Tuesday.
After watching one of their Cy Young Award-winning pitchers in Roy Halladay get knocked around by the Indians in the opener, the Phillies turn to another one in Lee. The left-hander was traded to Philadelphia in 2009 after going 22-3 and capturing the American League Cy Young with Cleveland the previous season. While no other Indians pitcher has won more than 13 games since 2007, Lee has won at least 14 games three times and owns the majors' third-best ERA (2.90) since the start of the 2008 season.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia, SportsTime Ohio (Cleveland)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Phillies LH Cliff Lee (2-1, 3.03 ERA) vs. Indians RH Trevor Bauer (0-1, 5.40)
Lee took a no-decision his last time out, striking out seven Pittsburgh Pirates but running into trouble in the seventh and exiting after allowing three runs and 10 hits in a 6-4 setback. After beginning the season with consecutive stellar outings, the three-time All-Star is winless over his last three turns and has issued at least one walk in each game after not walking a batter in his first two outings. Lee will make his first-ever start against Cleveland – the only team he hasn't faced in his career.
Following his loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on April 6, Bauer was sent back down to Triple-A Columbus, where he went 1-0 with a 2.50 ERA and 24 strikeouts over 18 innings. The highly-touted right-hander yielded only two hits over five innings, but gave up three runs and issued seven walks against the Rays. The 22-year-old Bauer, acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks in a three-team trade in December, will be making his first-ever start at Progressive Field in search of his second career victory.
WALK-OFFS
1. Cleveland and Milwaukee are the only two teams Lee has yet to defeat in his career.
2. OF Ryan Raburn, who had one home run in his previous 87 games prior to Monday, became the first Cleveland player since Travis Hafner in 2004 to record two straight multi-homer games.
3. Philadelphia OF Delmon Young homered in his first plate appearance of the season and went 2-for-3 Tuesday after missing the first 26 games with an ankle injury.
PREDICTION: Phillies 5, Indians 3