CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Indians will be under the bright lights of ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball at Guaranteed Rate Field.
The game, originally scheduled for a 2:10 a.m. Sunday start, was moved to 7:08 pm ET. ESPN’s original game on Sunday night featured St. Louis vs. the Cubs, but that game was postponed because the Cardinals players continue to test positive for the coronavirus.
Still in Shane Bieber vs. Lucas Giolito matchup is not a bad fallback position. Bieber started the season 3-0 with a 0.83 ERA for the Indians. He leads the big leagues with 35 strikeouts in 21 2/3 innings. He allowed three walks, 12 hits and the opposition struck .160 against him.
“He has improved dramatically,” said Indian acting manager Sandy Alomar. ‘He was a good pitcher to be with. He threw a lot of strikes, he was strike-throwing machine. In addition, his secondary pitches are plus.
‘He can throw any pitch on any count. His confidence level is very high. We saw that at the All-Star Game last year. He showed the world what he can do. ”
Bieber was named the All-Star Game MVP last year when the AL defeated the NL at Progressive Field. This year, his 35 strikeouts in the first three starts of the season are the third most in the modern era behind Nolan Ryan with 37 and Gerrit Cole with 36.
“He can command both sides of the plate,” Alomar said. “Throw every pitch on every count. He is full of confidence. He has been like that since the small leagues. ”
Bieber and Giolito were scheduled to meet during the Indians’ first home state of the season, but a rainout got in the way. Giolito stood instead against Zach Plesac and threw six scoreless innings with six strikeouts and two walks. He came away with a no decision, but the White Sox won, 4-0, with four runs in the 10th.
Giolito hit his gong last year and he has continued well this year. The twins beat Giolito (1-1, 5.17) in the season opener on July 24, scoring seven runs on six hits in 3 2/3 innings. In his last two starts, against the Indians and Brewers, he allowed two runs in 12 innings with 15 strikeouts.
Indian outfielder Jordan Luplow (right) and Francisco Lindor.John Kuntz, cleveland.com
Nr. 1: Keep running him out
Outfielder Jordan Luplow, looking for his first hit of the season, made his third start in the last five games Saturday against the White Sox. Luplow is 0-for-20, reaching base twice by drawing a walk and being hit by a pitch.
“We give him the chance to go out and play,” Alomar said. ‘His bats are getting better. He has made some hard contact with people in the past. I just do not want him to lose his confidence. I want him to be the man we had last year and sit on the bench, will not do that. ‘
The White Sox start Mat Foster from the right in what should be a bullpen game for them. Luplow played last year mostly against left-handeders, hitting 14 houses with a 1,181 OPS against them.
Luplow struck out on Saturday in his first at-bat, but homered in his next to end a 0-for-21 inning.
Indian shortstop Francisco Lindor.AP
No.2: Francisco Lindor does not move
Francisco Lindor’s move from the leadoff spot to No.3 place has not gone smoothly. Then again, not much for a misdemeanor that entered Saturday’s game with the lowest handball average in the major league at .189. The Indians have been ruled out three times in 15 games and are averaging well over three runs (3.13) per game.
Lindor hits .220 (13-for-59) with three homers and nine RBIs in 15 games. He was knocked out 12 times while placing a .270 on base percentage and a .677 OPS.
Last year, Lindor missed the first 18 games of the season with ankle and calf injuries. In his first 15 games back in the lineup, while batting with leadoff, the hit hit .263 (15-for-57) with four homers and seven RBIs. He had a .306 on base percentage and a .780 OPS.
“Frankie will be the same man, despite hits,” Alomar said. “He is an aggressive man. He has power. He has speed.
“That (move) was done by design of Tito (Francona) and the organization. The fact that Frankie hits third does not affect the way he hits. He has the same approach when he hits leadoff as third. ”
Indian second baseman Cesar Hernandez scores against Kansas City on July 25, 2020 at Progressive Field.John Kuntz, cleveland.com
Nr. 3: Hil, Cesar
Cesar Hernandez, the man who replaced Lindor in the leadoff spot, has been one of the shining lights in an otherwise poor offensive start for the Indians.
He came into the game on Saturday .319 (15-for-47) with eight runs and six RBIs. Hernandez, who has reached base in each of the 14 games he has played, has taken eight walks, while placing a .429 on base percentage and a .812 OPS.
“Hernadez has done a great job in the leadoff point,” Alomar said. ‘He has seen many places. He gives you National League by bats. We need a leadoff hitter that can give you long at-bats. He did that. ”
Native American hitters do not swing the bats well, but at least they are patient about it. They see an average of 4.18 pitches per record appearance to lead the big leagues. They lead the AL with 65 walks.
The Indians did eight walks on Friday night, but it did not help, as they lost, 2-0. Carlos Santana leads the Indians with 4.70 pitches per plate appearance. Hernandez at 4.51 and Jose Ramirez at 4.39 are next. Santana leads the big leagues with 17 walks.
Indian third baseman Jose Ramirez.Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com
No. 4: One look is all you get
MLB has restricted hitters from watching videos in the game of their at-bats in the nose of the sign that scandals in Houston and Boston stole and the outbreak of the coronavirus. It has been an adjustment not only for the Indians but hitters running the league.
“For many years, hitters have had the tendency to go back and evaluate their at-bats in the room below the room we have behind the batting rack,” Alomar said. ‘Everyone has to adapt. It now becomes like the old school days when you evaluate yourself by feeling. How your body felt when you approached the ball. Use your coaches more. Basically I say like I felt like I left that ball too early, when my shoulders were up.
“Some guys can’t feel it unless they see it on video. I have a couple of guys who tell my husband, this is completely different. You have to adjust because they depend a lot on videos. No one cheats or does anything, they just evaluate their at-bats and how the body moves to a pitch. ”
Players may not view any video or live feed of a game that has an angle that would reveal the catcher’s characters. This may change as MLB develops technology that blocks the characters.
Indian referee Aaron Civale kicked off the 13th quality start through the rotation in Friday’s 1-0 loss to the White Sox.Getty Images
No. 5: As a conclusion
The Indian Rotation has made 13 quality starts in the first 15 games of the season. It’s the most since the 1991 team did the same thing. The Indians from 1991, it must be remembered, lost a franchise record 105 games. . .The pitching staff has set a club record by allowing four or fewer runs in the first 15 games of the season. The last team to do so in the major leagues was the 2005 Miami Marlins. .Chris Antonetti, president of baseball operations, said Tyler Naquin (broken right side) is making progress and could be activated in the very near future. Naquin is forward Roberto Perez, repeated a bad right shoulder. . .Catcher Steve Baron a ceiling dealer Logan Allen are the taxis of the Indians for their journey to Chicago. . .James Karinchak, who wears No.99 and has Wild Think as his walk-up music, was asked if he would convince anyone the Ricky Vaughn black horn-rimmed glasses from the movie Major League. “I do not know a man,” Karinchak said. ‘I do not know if I could wear that. We will see, however. Karinchak has glasses off the field.
A variety of face masks from Cleveland Indians are available online today. (Fanatics.com)
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