The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Lindor and Kipnis need to get hot in second half
The bar in February is set high for the team that returns to spring training as the American League champion, which explains why, even though they lead the Central Division, fans have a right to expect more from the Indians the second half of the season.
A year ago, the Indians were 52-36 at the AllStar break. Today they are 4740, one game better than the Twins and 1.5 games ahead of the Royals.
Only the Houston Astros, at 33-11, have a better road record than the Indians (26-16) in the American League. Conversely, the Tribe, just 21-24 at Progressive Field, has the worst home record of any division leader in the majors. They lost 28 home games all last year.
The best word to describe the Indians so far is inconsistent. Just when it seems they are sailing in the right direction, a crosswind in the form of sloppy fielding, quiet bats, or poor starting pitching blows them off course again.
“You’ll never hear me say we’ve turned a corner,” Indians manager Terry Francona said on June 25 after a third straight home loss to the Twins, which followed the Indians winning eight of nine games, all on the road.
How did the Indians get to this point, presumably without playing their best consistently? Let’s take a look at the good and the bad from the first half of the season.
What’s gone right
• After playing in only 11 games in 2016 because of a shoulder injury from late in 2015, Michael Brantley is back to his All-Star form. His power numbers are down.
He has only five home runs in 250 at-bats, but he is hitting .304 with 37 RBI and 31 runs scored in 66 games. He has stabilized left field.
• Lonnie Chisenhall is hitting .305 with 51 RBI — just eight fewer than his career high of 59 in 142 games in 2014. He remade himself as a right fielder after struggling at third base early in his career, and showed this season he can also play center field.
• Jose Ramirez is, well, Jose Ramirez. He signed a
five-year, $26 million contract extension in March and vowed he wouldn’t let his new wealth make him lazy. Far from coasting, Ramirez is starting at third base for the American League in the All-Star Game on July 12 in Miami. He is hitting .332 with 17 home runs, 48 RBI and 62 runs scored. Plus, he leads the Indians with 10 stolen bases. He deserves MVP votes if he keeps it up in the second half.
• Carlos Carrasco is 10-3. He won 11 games last year. No need to play “What if” Carrasco had been able to pitch in the World Series last year. A broken hand prevented it. Just get him
and Corey Kluber to October this year and let’s see the National League team better that 1-2 punch.
• Bradley Zimmer has played 49 games since being called up from Columbus. He has taken over center field, and is hitting .285 and has nine stolen bases. He has hit leadoff in three games — a small sample size — and has three hits in 13 at bats batting first. Although his walks-tostrikeout ratio (12 to 43) isn’t ideal for a leadoff hitter, his speed has to make opposing pitchers nervous when he reaches first base. Zimmer was the Indians top prospect and is playing like it.
• Kluber is 4-1 since going on the disabled list in May with back stiffness. The only defeat was a 1-0 loss to the Padres on July 4. He has given up eight earned runs in 56 innings over eight starts since coming off the D.L. Yeah, Klubot is back.