Cleveland looks to ‘turn the page’ in home opener

CLEVELAND >> Months have passed since the Indians’ last home game, an epic, once-in-a-generation Game 7 that will be forever remembered as the night the Chicago Cubs finally ended a championship drought spanning 108 years.

The World Series memories aren’t as wonderful here.

“It still hurts,” Indians star shortstop Francisco Lindor said last week. “It’s tough. But we’ve got to turn the page.”

Following a winter and early spring spent at training camp in Arizona and a season-opening, six-game road trip, the Indians return home to begin their schedule at Progressive Field tonight against Chicago’s other team, the White Sox. Carlos Carrasco, who missed out on Cleveland’s 2016 postseason run because of a broken right hand, starts against James Shields.

The Indians are 3-3 to start a season they hope ends with a champagnespraying and not a gutwrenching loss. They began with an impressive sweep at Texas before losing three straight at Arizona.

The AL champions still aren’t at full strength as second baseman Jason Kip- nis and right fielder Lonnie Chisenhall are on the disabled list. Chisenhall, though, could be activated before the opener after he went 4 for 4 in a rehab appearance for Triple-A Columbus over the weekend.

On Tuesday, there will be a few minutes for the Indians and their fans to reflect and celebrate last year’s division championship, AL pennant and an unforgettable Series before saying goodbye to what might have been.

“It’ll be the last time that we talk about last year, but I want our guys to enjoy it,” manager Terry Francona said. “I think the fans will and I know we will. It’ll be a special day.”

Therehasn’t beenaWorld Series championship banner raised in Cleveland since 1948 as the Indians have replaced the Cubs for baseball’s longest streak of futil- ity. They’ve had close calls along the way, losing Game 7 in 1997 to Florida in 11 innings before last year’s 10-inning heartbreaker, which completed a 3-1 collapse by the Indians.

But there’s reason to believe that the defending AL Central champs — blessed with pitching depth, a loaded lineup and Francona, arguably the majors’ best manager — will be knocking on the title door again.