The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Indians turn attention to Yankees
Takeaways from Indians’ 5-1 loss to the Boston Red Sox Aug 14 at Progressive Field:
• The Indians are 10-6 in the stretch of games that began with a threegame series against the Astros on July 31. Next up in the August meat grinder is four games with the Yankees and three with the Mets over the next eight days, all in New York. The Indians are not putting any extra emphasis on the week ahead.
“I wouldn’t even call it a big series (with the Yankees),” Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis said. “I’d call it a big stretch of baseball that we’re going through right now. One series isn’t more important than another.
“It’s a big stretch because we’ve worked our way all the way back to be neck-and-neck with the Twins and we’re going to have to keep it going. All the games are big at this point, even if it’s against a team with a bad record.”
The Indians are a half-game behind Minnesota in the AL Central. They were 11 1/2 games behind the Twins on June 3.
The good news for Tribe fans is the Indians are 33-23 on the road. The bad news is the Yankees are 47-18 at Yankee Stadium.
The Indians’ pitching depth will be tested by the mighty Yankees bats. Adam Plutko (43, 4.68 ERA), is slated to pitch Aug. 15 in the series opener. Aaron Civale (1-1, 1.00) and Zach Plesac (6-3, 3.27) are scheduled to pitch Aug. 16 and 17 respectively. Mike Clevinger (7-2, 3.34) should pitch the series finale Aug. 18.
• The Indians will have Yasiel Puig back for the Yankees series. Puig missed the series with Boston serving his three-game suspension for his part in a brawl July 30 when he was with the Reds. He was dealt to the Indians in the Trevor Bauer trade that night.
Indians manager Terry Francona predicted Puig, a free agent next winter, would have the best two months of his career during his time with the Indians. Francona is looking like a prophet. Puig, in 11 games with the Indians, is batting .357 (15 for 42) with four doubles, a triple, a home run, six RBI and five runs scored. The Indians will need Puig’s menacing presence against the Yankees.
• If the Indians go on to make the playoffs and win the World Series, I can guarantee the message from Francona in spring training next year will be something like, “Last year was great, but that was last year. We have to turn the page on that, because this is a new season and everybody is 0-0.”
Francona said he developed the “Mississippi River rule” when he was managing the Phillies 20 years ago. The Phillies
were a bad team then, and Francona wanted his players not to dwell on mounting losses. When the plane crossed the Mississippi going east or west, it was time to forget about what just happened.
Francona is the same way when his team wins. He said he couldn’t wait to get the 2016 American League championship ring ceremony out of the way at the Indians 2017 home opener so all the focus could be on the new season.
He said he was the same
way after leading the Red Sox to World Series championships in 2004 and 2007.
Alex Cora, as a rookie manager in Boston in 2018, led the Red Sox to 108 regular season wins and a World Series championship.
He was named 2018 Manager of the Year by the Boston chapter of the BBWAA, and in his acceptance speech said, “Somebody might write this. I don’t care. If you guys thought last year was special, wait ‘til this year.”
Maybe Cora’s haughty remark has nothing to do with it, but the Red Sox have underachieved most of this season. They are 64-59 and third in the AL East.
The Boston writers aren’t letting Cora forget his prediction.
“I felt it was going to be fun,” Cora in late July told reporters covering the Red Sox. “It’s not over yet. There are different routes to have fun.”
It isn’t over yet for the Red Sox. But they can see the cliff from their dugout
despite taking two of three from the Indians. They trail the Yankees by 17 1/2 games in the AL East. They are 8 1/2 games behind Tampa Bay for the second wild card spot and would have to jump Oakland (three games back) to catch the Rays.
Cora would be wise to follow Francona’s lead if he manages a playoff team again.